Shards of Foxfire
by Naanaami
Summary: The IY gang has defeated Naraku 5 years ago, and they are living in Kagome's time as a band, Shards of Foxfire. Suddenly, they are transported back to the Feudal Era, with no way out. How will they escape? Read to find out! FINISHED
1. I

I'm updating a lot today (10/25/03), especially since I'm changing the setup of my fanfic. In case you're wondering about the small amount of chapters, I'm pretty much combining every four chapters! Well, Ja ne!  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, but I DO own Shards of Foxfire!  
  
Thanks to my reviewers:  
  
Demonic Rose - Thanks for reviewing! I'm glad you like it!  
  
Sango looked around their tour bus at all of the band members. They were headed to their next concert, but it was a very long drive, so everyone was relaxing, and catching up on everything that had happened that week. Kouga was driving, and unusually alert, though he hadn't slept in two days. Ayame stared out the window, not really seeing anything, listening to Kouga talk. Inuyasha was playing a video game in the back. Kagome leaned against him, fast asleep. Kikyo was sitting on her bunk, reading quietly and ignoring everyone, while one of her white soul demons lazily flew in circles above her head. Sesshoumaru was obviously answering fan mail, as he often muttered about how it was all a mess of sappy love letters. Rin was asleep in his lap, leaning against his arm. Kirara was curled up on Sango's bunk, while Shippo snoozed peacefully beside her, out of Inuyasha's way. Miroku sat next to Sango, going on to the Internet, listening to music played by the band. He turned, smiled at Sango, then showed her his laptop. "Look! I typed in our band into a search engine, and we have over 1000 fan sites!" Sango smiled. Amazing, since they were only halfway into their first tour. However, every seat was filled at their concerts. They were doing great!  
  
"Awai, sora ga utsushita, Omoi ga kezu me ni tonde kita houseki." Sango's voice resonated from the speakers of the flat notebook. Sango smiled, remembering how many hours of practice it took to get that song just right. A sudden noise made everyone jump. Ayame had assembled her flute and started to practice a solo, her fingers moving rapidly across the finger holes.  
  
Inuyasha was apparently winning the video game, because the soothing melody of Ayame's flute was often broken with "Yes! I'm the best! Oh yeah! I rule!" Kagome stirred sleepily, and woke up. "Good for you, Inuyasha! Keep going, you're almost." She didn't finish her sentence, for she had fallen asleep again. Shippo opened one eye, then the other, and decided to play a trick on Inuyasha. He came up silently, and unplugged the game cartridge. The screen went black, and Inuyasha stared in shock before rounding on the little kitsune.  
  
"SHIPPO, WHY THE HECK DID YOU DO THAT? I HAD A HIGH SCORE, AND NOW I HAVE TO START OVER!" He began to chase Shippo around Kagome, saying "I'm gonna get you!" Shippo jumped into Kagome's arms, whimpering, and Inuyasha ran into Kagome, knocking her over. Kagome landed on her side, and there was a sharp crack as she whimpered in pain. Inuyasha said, "Suck it up, Kagome. You've had worse injuries than tha- Kagome, don't look at me like that!" "Inuyasha!" "Wait, no, I can explain, let me help-" "SIT! SitsitsitsitSIT!!!!"  
  
Inuyasha bounced up and down repeatedly, rocking the tour bus dangerously. Kouga looked behind him for a second, then pulled over onto the side of the road before going back to where Kagome was. "What happened, Kagome?" he said in a concerned tone. Kagome took a while to reply, trying her best not to burst into tears. "Landed.wrong.cracked.rib.his.fault." Kouga glared at Inuyasha, saying, "How DARE you do that to Kagome! She could have been killed!" He turned to Kagome, and with a softer tone, said, "I'd never let that happen to you Kagome." Ayame burst into the back room, looking flushed with anger. "So, Kouga, you'd rather be with her than me?" They began to argue, their voices rising until Sesshoumaru burst in. "How do you expect me to respond to all of my fan mail if you guys won't shut up?" Inuyasha sighed, and then asked Sesshoumaru, "Why are you in here? This has nothing to do with you!" "Spare me the feigned innocence, Inuyasha." Sesshoumaru said heavily. "I have come to shut you up, of course."  
  
Sango listened attentively, enjoying the contest of wills. It took her mind off of her problems, and listening to them argue so much over petty things made her laugh. Miroku said with a smile, "Listen to them argue. It's so pathetic. We never argue like that, do we, Sango?" Sango tensed up quite suddenly. Miroku was getting a little bit too close. Sango decided not to slap him for once. If he didn't do anything stupid, she might actually enjoy his company. She leaned on his shoulder and sighed with contentment. Maybe she was a moment too soon, as Miroku began to act like his normal, perverted self, and rub her butt. She stiffened again, and slapped him. "What was that for?" Sango asked in an accusing tone. "What? You looked tired, so I was giving you a back massage!" Sango sighed. She saw right through that lie, but she ignored it. She turned around in her seat, and started to listen to the argument again.  
  
Everyone was still attacking each other, and there seemed to be no end. Kagome's whimpers were steadily becoming more frequent, but everyone ignored the person they were actually arguing about. Kagome couldn't stand the pain any more, and started to cry. Kouga tried to comfort her, but was attacked by Ayame and brushed away by Kagome. Inuyasha tried to get Kagome to stop crying, but to no avail. This got them arguing all over again. The argument seemed to have no end, until Rin stomped in. Though she was only thirteen, everyone fell silent as she entered, for if they angered her, they angered her 'older brother'. "Why are you arguing so much? It's bothering me, and I'm trying to get some sleep! Inuyasha, you first." Inuyasha explained his side, and then everyone else told their stories. Rin quickly sorted out the problem, then left the back room to go to the front of the bus, dragging Sesshoumaru with her. Ayame stared at their backs.  
  
"How can a thirteen year old girl solve problems so quickly?" She said to herself. Miroku got out of his seat, and went to the back of the bus.  
  
"Where does it hurt, Kagome?" Miroku asked. Kagome scooted away from  
him.  
"I would rather be cut in HALF than have you poking me to make sure my  
rib's cracked!"  
"My pleasure." Sesshoumaru said as he reentered the scene, drawing  
out the Tensaiga.  
"KAGOME!!" Inuyasha and Kouga yelled together then glared at each  
other. "N-no! Wait! I didn't mean---" the blade came slicing down, and Kagome screamed before realizing she was unhurt, and she was no longer in pain. "Wow. Thanks, Sesshoumaru."  
  
"Just shut up and let Rin sleep and let me answer my fan mail. He turned on his heel and left, leaving everyone speechless.  
  
"Why don't WE get mail? Shippo asked. Sesshoumaru tossed a bag at him, and everyone rummaged through it.  
  
"Hey! I got a postcard from Grampa, Mama and Sota! And I got a get well card from Hojo? GRAMPA!!!"  
  
"My magazine! Ooh, look, Kirara, here's a cute little bed for you!" "Those letters are for me." "'Dear Inuyasha: Your ears are so cute! Where did you get them? Send them to me, please!' She thinks that they're fake ears?!?! Weirdo! I wish I could reply with something biting, like Sesshoumaru. Of course, I could always use Shippo's ears."  
  
"You wouldn't dare, Kagome would kill you.Look! Somebody sent me a box of crayons! And a coloring book featuring US! Wow! I'll color Inuyasha pink."  
  
"You better not, squirt."  
"And his ears can be blue."  
"All right, Shippo."  
"KAGOMEEEEE!"  
"Uh, I-I'll just take this magazine and go, um, somewhere."  
"Miroku, what is THAT?" "Aww, how sweet! 'Dear Ayame, I just love the way you are always so happy. You always put a smile on my face.'"  
  
"Aww! How cute! It's a teddy bear! That's so sweet."  
"I'll open my mail later."  
"'Dear Sango, you are the coolest band member. Could you send me an  
autograph?' That's so sweet! I'll just have to send them something.  
Me, the coolest." Just then, the bus started again, and Inuyasha plugged in his game cartridge, while Kagome got up and curled up on her bunk. Sango looked over Miroku's shoulder on his laptop, scrolling through fan sites while Shippo, a large red welt on his head, adjusted a boombox until he found a song that he liked.  
  
"Mezameyou Kono shukan wo yagate bokura wa tsori daku dearou." Sango's voice surged through the boombox speakers and Shippo curled into a ball and slept. Kirara was playfully batting at the demon lord Sesshoumaru's cloak, and he picked up the cat and deposited it promptly in Sango's lap. Ayame walked up to the front of the bus, tucking the bear under the arm of a soundly sleeping Rin, and passing a smirking Sesshoumaru as he wittily answered fan letters  
  
Sango looked at Miroku, who was asleep with a smile on his face. She deftly stole the laptop from him, and began to type in the address of the fan site of the band that she worked on. Seeing that the site needed updating, she uploaded a few pictures Ayame got, courtesy of their last concert's host. They were of the performance they did last. Sango also added some more music lyrics to that section, and put some daily news in. She made a new site layout, and was just about to add some music on the site when Kagome said, "Wow! You're really good at that!" Sango turned around and smiled; nearly everyone was watching her update the site. "It's nothing, really."  
  
"Can I add something, please?" Rin asked politely.  
"Why not? Go ahead. Did you get any good pictures with the camera?"  
"Yeah! Too bad this is the last time I'll be able to do this!"  
"You make it sound like that's a bad thing! You're being promoted to  
being a performer!"  
"But, I'm not that good."  
"Sure you are! You'll do fine this time!" Suddenly, Kouga's voice rang out from the front. "Here we are! Everybody out, as we have three hours before show time!" Sango hurriedly saved the progress on the website, shut the computer down, and got out of her seat. She shook Miroku, and he awoke, startled. He quickly got out of his seat to let Sango through. Almost everyone was out of the bus now, and getting their things out of the compartment. Sango got her suitcase and guitar case out, and Kirara approached her, growing in size as she came. Sango got on her back, and slung the bags over Kirara's back. Rin joined her, her bags in tow. Kirara sauntered in through the back way of the stage, followed by everyone else. In the anteroom, a harried producer was waiting impatiently. "You're late!" he exclaimed, checking his watch. Sango held back a laugh as Miroku said, "We had a.um.problem." "Well, you're here now, so get ready for show time. Lunch is on the table onstage."  
  
Everyone took their bags to their rooms. All of the girls shared a room, and the boys were next door. All of the girls took out their instruments for a practice exercise. Kagome got out her keyboard, Sango got her guitar, Ayame took out her flute, Kikyo got her harp out, and Rin got ready to sing. They warmed up for a few seconds, then played a prelude that was used while the guys were getting ready for their song. Then, they played part of a song, Every Heart. It sounded great, so the girls put their instruments away so as not to ruin the concert by playing too much.  
  
Now, the girls got ready for the concert. First, they got dressed, and made sure they all looked their best. Ayame had on a top reminiscent of what she wore in the Feudal Era, and a short black skirt. Kikyo wore loose, red pants and a white tube top. Kagome wore a red tank top and black glittery Capri's. Rin wore a short black skirt, and spaghetti strap shirt much like her old kimono. Sango wore a light pink t -shirt with raspberry-colored sleeves and an olive-green short skirt. Next, they did their hair. Sango, Kikyo and Kagome just left theirs down, so they were good at styling everyone else's hair. Rin's hair was wrapped into two cute buns at the back of her head. Ayame's hair was in two side ponytails, her namesake flower, the iris, perched on one ponytail. Next, Ayame's favorite part, was makeup. She was an expert at applying makeup, and so did everyone.  
  
Once they had their hair and makeup done, they went onto the stage to eat lunch. Apparently, Inuyasha had started an argument once again, so they would be late to lunch. Lunch was food from some fast food place, most likely Sonic. They waited for the guys to come out after finishing lunch. The guys soon came, Inuyasha and Shippo devouring anything in sight. Sesshoumaru looked disdainfully at his little brother, most likely wondering how in the world he was related to Inuyasha. After lunch, everyone discussed the concert coming ever closer. The guys went to go set up the stage as the girls went back to their room.  
  
"I can't do this!" Rin said for the third time. "I'm way too scared to sing in front of a live audience!"  
  
"Don't worry about it!" Ayame said reassuringly. "It's my first time to play onstage, too. You're not alone. Just think about your big brother, Sesshoumaru. He'll be so proud of you!"  
  
"I guess so." "We're all rooting for you guys, Rin and Ayame" Sango said. "Even Inuyasha is rooting for you. Well, he really just said that he hopes you don't mess up, but that still counts! You'll do great!" Sango picked up Kirara, and put on a rhinestone collar. "You've gotta look your best tonight, Kirara! Kohaku promised that he'd be here! The cat's ears perked up at the sound of Sango's brother's name. Kirara jumped to Sango's shoulder, and she picked up her guitar case. She went to the stage, followed by everyone else.  
  
The guys were already setting up the equipment when they arrived. Inuyasha and Kouga had set up the mike system, and Miroku was putting his drum set together. Shippo was already backstage, making sure the effects system was working right. Sesshoumaru was tuning the bass drum and timpani, testing to make sure they would sound right. Kikyo set up her harp at the front of the stage, on the far right. Kagome was at the back, practicing her keyboard solo. Kirara was already joining Shippo, testing things out. Ayame set up her stool at the far left of the stage, up in front. Rin was checking her hair, and watching Shippo and Kirara. Sango put her stool in the middle of the stage, ready to play.  
  
Miroku came up next to Sango, done with setting up. He, like the others, was wearing baggy black pants and a muscle shirt. "So, you worried?"  
  
"Not at all. Well, I'm kinda worried for Rin. She's afraid she'll mess  
up really bad."  
"She'll do fine."  
"I know, but she's so stressed about it."  
"Don't worry about it. Everyone messes up sometime. Better now than  
later." And with that, Miroku sauntered off to Kikyo, to help move her  
harp. "Ten minutes until showtime, everyone!" the producer called. The roar of the crowd could be heard, even through the thick curtain. "Well, I better get up to the front." Kagome said. She always introduced the band. Sango saw Ayame put her arm around Rin, who was extremely nervous. Everyone was really tense right before the show, except for Kikyo and Sesshoumaru. They both were very calm and said nothing. Inuyasha was especially nervous, pacing around the stage. Kagome whispered something to him, and he went back to where he should have been. "Showtime." Kagome whispered as she went to the front of the stage, in the middle. The curtains opened, the crowd cheering wildly as Kagome smiled. 


	2. II

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. If I did, well, just read my fanfic!  
  
"Welcome to the Shards of Foxfire concert!" Kagome said into the microphone. "Now, to introduce the band, for those who don't know. I'm Kagome, and I'm on the keyboard!" The crowd cheered loudly. "Next, it's Inuyasha and Kouga on the steel guitar!" The applause, cheers, and screams were deafening as the guys played a short duet. "Miroku on the drums!" He waved and twirled a drumstick. "Sango on the guitar!" People clapped as she grinned and played something short on her guitar. "Kikyo with her harp!" Kikyo smiled and waved to the cheering crowd. "Kirara and Shippo doing the special effects!" The audience roared with approval as fire shot up from the stage. "And, Sesshoumaru on the bass drum!" The cheering grew louder as he nodded slightly. "Now, tonight, we have a special treat for you. We have been training two new people for our band, and they've worked really hard! So, let's give a hand for Rin, Sesshoumaru's little sister!" Rin blushed and waved. "Also, Ayame, Kouga's friend, on the flute!" Ayame acted much like Rin, blushing and smiling. The crowd was louder than ever. "Well, enough talking! Let's start the music!"  
  
"Awai sora ga utsushita Omoi ga kezu me ni tonde kita houseki." The band decided to start with Yura Yura, with Sango singing and playing guitar. Kikyo was singing with Sango, and Inuyasha and Kouga jumped around onstage, playing steel guitar, banging their heads wildly, much to the approval of their many fans. Kagome was playing her heart out, eyes closed. Ayame played her flute well, especially since this was her first time onstage. Sesshoumaru was having a good time, and loving the crowd. Miroku was playing better than ever. Even the effects had better timing. It was their best concert yet. When the song ended, the applause was thunderous. Everyone was exhilarated from the success of the first song.  
  
Now, it was time for the girls to play while the guys set up for their song, and Rin's debut. The curtain closed for a minute as a different curtain closed, in front of the guys. The girls quickly moved their equipment to the front of the stage. As they got set up, Sango went to the front as the curtain opened again, microphone in hand. "This is a prelude, so the guys can get set up for their song, and it is called, 'Kagome and Inuyasha'. We hope you enjoy it." The crowd cheered as she went back to her seat.  
  
Kagome and Sango played the lower part as Ayame and Kikyo played the higher part. Rin stood in the middle, waiting for her cue. When it came, she wavered slightly, but only for an instant. Her soprano voice arced over the other music, as Sango and Ayame fell silent. As the first part ended, Sango began again, along with Kagome and Kikyo. Rin was silent once more, until her cue, which she got beautifully. The entire audience was transfixed by her voice. As she got softer, the rest of the music did as well. When the music finally ended, the audience was silent for a few seconds before applauding loudly. Rin was so elated that she practically floated offstage.  
  
As the girls moved their equipment further back, everyone was congratulating Rin. Her face shone brightly, and she looked happier than she'd ever been. As she passed by Sesshoumaru, he said, "Well done, Rin." She glowed with pride as she helped Kagome move her keyboard. Sango heard Inuyasha mutter discreetly, "Hmph. The way Sesshoumaru was staring was like he was listening to an angel's chorus, and all he says is 'Well done'? Geez, what is it with him? If he's trying to hide his emotions, he's doing a horrible job!" Inuyasha slouched off, still muttering.  
  
Everyone got in place quickly as the curtain began to open. The crowd began to cheer, as they knew what was coming. The girls began to play their part quietly as the guys began to sing. "I want to change the world, Kaze wo kakenukete, nanimo osorezu ni." The crowd began to cheer louder, almost drowning out Miroku, Inuyasha, and Sesshoumaru's singing. The crowd loved the music, cheering wildly. As the girls finished playing, the crowd burst into applause.  
  
After that song, the rest were successes as well. Kikyo had a harp solo, and then they played 'Fukai Mori'. Inuyasha had a steel guitar solo, much to the delight of the young women in the audience. After that, they played 'Owari Nai Yume', followed by Miroku's solo. They played four more songs afterward: Every Heart, Grip, No More Words, and My Will, interspersed with solos by Sango, Sesshoumaru, Kagome, Kouga, and Ayame. It was the best they had ever done. The crowd cheered louder than ever when the concert ended, and were throwing objects onstage.  
  
As the curtain closed, everyone heaved a huge sigh of relief. Kirara and Shippo left the effects box and went to clean up the stage. They came back with arms full of stuffed toys. Inuyasha took a lot of teddy bears with Shippo still attached. He fell to the ground with a thump, running to Kagome. She comforted him as Inuyasha dug through the bears and toys, letting everyone see them. Rin was about to go for her collection of bears, but Sesshoumaru held her back. "Let's look at these once we get on the bus." Rin nodded, and Inuyasha strode out to the bus with the bears.  
  
Everyone started to pack up equipment. It had been a long week, and everyone was tired. They were about to have a month-long break, so everyone was in a big hurry to leave. They packed everything up in about 20 minutes, a record for their band. Sango was walking next to Kirara, making sure she didn't drop anything, when someone ran into her and hugged her tightly. Sango was about to yell at him when she noticed that it was Kohaku, her younger brother. She hugged him back, happy to see him. "I loved the concert!" he said as he helped the guys. "Everyone did great!" As the compartment was closed, Sango said, "You are coming with us on our break, right?"  
  
"Of course!"  
"Great! How's school been?" Kohaku went to high school while everyone  
else was on tour.  
"Pretty good. Not as good as being on tour, I bet."  
"You're probably right."  
"Stop yakkin' and get on the bus, or it'll go on without you!"  
Inuyasha's voice rung out from the bus. Sango sighed, and led her  
brother onto the bus.  
"Nice! So, this is where you guys are living! Got a place for me to  
stay?"  
"Of course we do! We've got 6 bunks, silly! You'll have one, don't  
worry."  
"Only six bunks for eleven people and me?"  
  
"Well, yeah! Kirara shares mine, and Shippo shares Kagome's."  
  
"That's ten."  
"And Kouga drives all night, and Ayame stays up with him."  
"Eight."  
"Rin sleeps in Sesshoumaru's bunk, since he doesn't use his."  
"Seven."  
"And Miroku and Kikyo just sleep in chairs."  
"OK, then." Kohaku was looking at everyone around the room. Ayame was being a navigator for Kouga, yelling at him to stop looking at her. Kikyo, as usual, was sitting on a chair, reading. Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru were playing video games, while Kagome was helping Rin learn to play keyboard. Miroku sat on a three-person bench, watching TV. Kirara was sitting in his lap, and Shippo was bouncing off the walls as usual. Sango and Kohaku joined Miroku, and stared at the screen vacantly until Miroku turned it off.  
  
"We're not paying attention to the TV anyway, so let's do something useful, ok?" Miroku retrieved his laptop from his chair, and said, "Since we have about two weeks worth of break, where should we go?" Sango shrugged, but Kohaku had an idea. "What about a beach somewhere nearby?" "Good idea, Kohaku!" Miroku and Sango said in unison, then looked at each other and laughed. "So, let's look at beaches nearby, shall we?" Miroku typed in something, waited a few seconds, and then turned the laptop around. "How about there?" Sango took the laptop from him and began to look at the place he had chosen. "Wow! Five star hotels and restaurants, white sand, clear water, presidential suite, I LOVE IT! Tell Kouga where we want to go, ok?"  
  
As Kohaku stumbled up to the front, Sango gave Miroku his laptop back and sat on her bunk, bored. Kirara left Miroku and joined Sango, purring happily. Sango scratched Kirara absently, thinking about the tour so far. Miroku, bored as well, sat on the edge of Sango's bunk. "Um, Sango?"  
  
"Yes?"  
"Want to play video games or something? Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru  
aren't on any more."  
"I don't know how."  
"I'll show you. I'll get Kagome to help me out, too."  
"OK, I'll try, then."  
"Great!" Kagome soon left Rin playing a simple song on the keyboard, and went over to Sango and Miroku. She bit back a smile as Miroku was helping her learn the controls, then cheering her on, no matter how horribly she did. When Sango threw down the controls in anger, Kagome decided to help.  
  
"I can't do it!" "Give it a chance, Sango! When I first started, Inuyasha laughed at me, but I'm really good now! You just need to practice!" Kagome said as she picked up the controls. Sango shook her head, not wanting to play. "Well, how about you be the navigator."  
  
"Navigator?" "Yeah. Just read from the strategy guide, and Miroku will play the game." "Ok!" Kagome got the strategy guide from the bookshelf, and tossed it to Sango. Kirara trotted over to Sango once more, and grew large, Sango leaning against her pet. Miroku took the controls, and began to play, Sango guiding him. Kagome left the two lovebirds, and went to join Inuyasha, who was busy reading. She twiddled with his ears, and he turned around, about to slap whoever it was, saw Kagome, and relaxed.  
  
"You seem to be in a good mood!"  
"Well, yeah! I just set up Miroku and Sango!"  
"Again? You know it never works out! I'll give it five minutes, ten at  
the most."  
"Why do you have so little faith?"  
"Because this has happened, oh, about a million times before, give or  
take a few." Kagome ignored this last statement, and leaned against Inuyasha, sighing. He bit back his retort, and started to read again, listening hard to see if Kagome's plan would actually work.  
  
In the back room, the video game had progressed considerably, probably thanks to Sango's encouragement. "Come on! Jump! You can do it!" Sango and Miroku turned out to be a great team, and soon they had gotten a higher score than Inuyasha. Inuyasha grumbled a bit, but he was happy that Kagome finally worked it out between the two. As they were saving their progress, Inuyasha heard telltale noises, Miroku moving closer to Sango. "Ten." he counted under his breath. "Nine. Eight. Seven .Six .Five .Four .Three .Two .One" A scream and a slap echoed through the bus, both noises from Sango. She huffed out of the back room, throwing dark looks at Miroku, who walked past, rubbing his face, which had a bright red hand mark, courtesy of Sango. Inuyasha woke Kagome up. She looked over at Sango and Miroku, then sighed in exasperation. "It's so obvious that they're in love, but why can't they get along?" Kagome wondered to herself, then looked at Inuyasha and laughed to herself. She and Inuyasha were just like that about six years ago, when they met.  
  
Sango looked at a photo on the wall of their bus. It was of the band, Kohaku, and Kagome's family, taken five years ago, a few days after they defeated Naraku. Kagome was in the center, with a big smile. She looked like an adult now, unlike the teenager in the picture. Ayame was on Kouga's back, both of them sporting canine grins. Kouga had longer hair then, and was more reckless. Ayame had grown up a lot, being the youngest teenager in the picture. She didn't change much, but acted more mature now. Inuyasha stood behind Kagome, a small smile showing, looking exactly the same as he used to look. Miroku had his arm around Sango, the two of them smiling. Although it was just a pose, Sango slapped him afterwards. Miroku didn't look very different, though he changed a lot. He stopped acting as perverted a while ago, after Naraku was defeated, and he figured out that he didn't have a hole in his hand any more. He still wore the prayer beads and wrapping around his arm, as a reminder. Sango had changed quite a bit, too. She grew up quickly, after the picture was taken, acting more like an adult than a teenager was. Kohaku was on the other side of Sango, with his arm around her as well. He was sixteen now, and driving everywhere. He was a lot taller than Sango, and was completely changed. Rin sat on Sesshoumaru's shoulders, going from an eight-year old to an eighth grader. She was beginning to look a lot like Sango and Kagome, and could pass as their sister. Everyone else looked the same, one being dead, and three being slow-aging demons.  
  
As Sango looked over at Kohaku, Miroku was teaching him to work on the website. He acted like Kohaku's older brother, and was treated almost like family by her brother. But to Sango, Miroku was more like a boyfriend though, even as she thought that, she realized how absurd that was. He hasn't acted like a boyfriend at all, even after he asked me to bear his children, and I said yes. He's acted like he always has, even though he probably knows I love him. And with that disconcerting thought, she leaned against the seat and fell asleep.  
  
Kohaku looked up from the small computer, and stared at the sleeping form of his sister. She looked so vulnerable, completely different from her battle stance. A lot had changed since that fateful day at Naraku's castle. Back then, it was like a bubble had surrounded them, protected from any misfortunes or troubles the world around them had. Then, Naraku, a malicious demon who took control over Kohaku, had destroyed their peaceful life. Kohaku shuddered, remembering how it felt to be controlled; seeing everything you were doing, and being helpless to stop it. Sango was the only one who believed in him at first. When he was a little boy and had nightmares, Sango was always there to assure him that nothing would happen. Even when he was under Naraku's control, Sango saved him when she could, and loved him even though he had tried to kill her time and time again. He realized that without Sango, he wouldn't be here at all. Feeling tired himself, he moved over to Sango, and leaned on her shoulder. She woke up, and smiled at Kohaku as she put her arm around him. Kirara jumped into Sango's lap, and the three of them fell asleep.  
  
Kagome was headed to the back of the bus to play video games, leading Inuyasha. They passed by the sleeping siblings, and Kagome felt a pang as she realized how much she missed her family, though she'd see them tomorrow. Inuyasha stopped, and opened his mouth to say something cynical to ruin the moment, but Kagome gave him a sharp tug on his rosary. Knowing that that meant that he would be on the floor if he said anything, he passed by them, grumbling. Kagome grinned, happy to keep Inuyasha from ruining anything. The siblings slept on, unaware of what just took place. 


	3. III

Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I do not own Inuyasha, though Shards of Foxfire is mine!  
  
The next morning, the crew arrived at the hotel early. They quickly checked in, and went back out to get their bags. Everything was unloaded from their tour bus, including the instruments, and was taken up the elevator. They dragged the heavy bags along, Inuyasha complaining all the way, until they reached the door of the suite. "Well, here it is!" Kagome said as she stuck the card into the slit. Greens light blinked once as the group trooped in with shock.  
  
The suite was enormous, taking up nearly half of the top floor. It had a large kitchen, large living room, two master bedrooms, and two bedrooms with double beds, a dining room, large bathroom, and study with a big screen TV. The band explored for a while, enjoying the comforts of the hotel room. Then, Kagome called everyone into the living room to draw straws for the bedrooms. Kagome and Inuyasha got the first master bedroom (with Shippo, of course), and Miroku, Sango, and Kirara got the second master bedroom. Everyone else got a double bed, and Kagome's family would sleep on couches. Sango grumbled about the arrangement, but nobody else would trade with her. She sighed in exasperation as she lugged her bags into the bedroom. Miroku, however, look positively enlightened, with a dreamy expression on his face.  
  
Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. Kagome ran to the door, and opened it to find that her family had arrived. She gave them all a big hug, and reintroduced everyone with a smile. She then left them alone to unpack while everyone else got ready to go to the beach for the day. Kagome's mother made sure everyone was alive and well, acting like they were all her kids. Sota wandered aimlessly until he found Rin and Kohaku, his best friends. Grampa started trying to plaster wards all over the walls, being held back by Inuyasha. Everyone else went to the bedrooms to get their stuff and get dressed.  
  
They got changed quickly into more comfortable outfits, perfect for a day at the beach. Kagome wore an emerald green one piece covered in lighter green swirls, and black athletic shorts. Rin had a royal blue tankini with small yellow flowers, and a miniskirt. Ayame wore a purple bikini with jean shorts. Sango had on a light pink bikini with darker pink Hawaiian flowers, with a matching long skirt over it. Kagome's mother wore a bright sundress, not wanting to swim. Kikyo wore a plain black one piece with jeans. Inuyasha wore red swim trunks, Koga had green, Kohaku had dark blue, Miroku had black, and Sesshoumaru had lighter blue. They all wore black shirts with it. Sota was the most colorful of the guys, wearing a white shirt with blue and green striped trunks, though Shippo wore bright blue ones with darker blue splotches, disguised as a teenage boy for the day. Even Kirara was ready for the beach, sunglasses protecting her sensitive eyes from the bright sun.  
  
As everyone trooped downstairs, Grampa staying behind to guard the room, they were almost attacked by crazed fans. Sango and Inuyasha reached for their weapons menacingly and they backed away. Inuyasha wore the Tetsusaiga because he carried it with him everywhere, and Sango had hers because the Hiraikotsu could be used as a really good surfboard. They made it all the way down to the first floor with no more mishaps, and then Inuyasha and Shippo saw the continental breakfast. They tried to race at it with top speed, but were held back by Sesshoumaru with ease. Everyone else got their food, and then Inuyasha and Shippo devoured all that remained.  
  
Now that everyone had full stomachs, they all headed to the beach that was across the street. Kagome rented some umbrellas and beach chairs, and passed around the sunscreen. Kohaku and Inuyasha had set off to find a boat to rent, and maybe some water-skis or inner tubes. Shippo had already jumped into the water and made some friends from the multitude of people already there. Everyone else sat around, waiting for Inuyasha and Kohaku to return. The two guys had almost reached everyone else when Hojo ran up, waving.  
  
"Hi Kagome!"  
"Oh, uh, hi Hojo!"  
"Would you like to go out to lunch with me a little later?"  
Kagome saw Inuyasha approach, anger evident on his face. "Sorry Hojo,  
not today. Hey, have you met Inuyasha, my boyfriend?"  
Hojo's face fell. "No. Hi Inuyasha."  
Kagome felt sorry for Hojo, so she decided to introduce someone else.  
"Hey Hojo, you know Sango, right?" Hojo smiled at her, and nodded. He turned around and saw Sango, and was struck speechless for a few seconds. "H-h-hi Sango." He blushed deeply. Rin giggled, making him even more nervous. "I-I think I'll go now.nice to meet you Sango!" He ran off again, making everyone laugh and feel sorry for him.  
  
"So, did you get us a boat?" Sango asked after watching Hojo disappear. "Yeah, it's over there! Let's go!" Kohaku pointed in the boat's direction as almost everyone headed toward the boat. Kikyo decided to stay behind with Kagome's family as the others boarded the boat. Sango had already hooked up her boomerang to the back, and Inuyasha quickly got onto the normal water skis. "I bet you'll fall off the first chance you get!" Inuyasha said as he watched Sango step onto her weapon. "Not a chance. Who wants to go with me?" Kirara jumped onto the front, and Miroku got on with her, hands on her shoulders to steady himself. "If you try anything, you're dead." Sango said as she gave Miroku the evil eye. Inuyasha just smirked as the boat began to start.  
  
A few minutes into the ride, and Sango loved it. She laughed out loud as the boomerang threatened to capsize, nearly throwing her into the water. She looked over at Inuyasha and laughed harder. He was lying down on the skis, hanging on for dear life. Miroku, on the other hand, was having the time of his life, like Sango. His arms were around her waist for stability, but they suddenly tightened, pulling her close. She smiled and relaxed, enjoying herself. It wasn't until Inuyasha fell into the water with a splash that she even noticed anything around her. She laughed again as a wet and bedraggled Inuyasha hauled himself up again as the boat headed back to shore.  
  
Inuyasha was still wet and grumbling by the time they got back to shore. He shook himself off like a dog, and shook his head a while, to get water out of his ears. Kagome thought this was a perfectly good time to play with his ears. Inuyasha whipped around angrily. "Why'd you do that? I don't play with your ears every time you-" But Kagome had leaned against him and sighed, ignoring the lecture as she played with his hair. He sighed as well, and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, ignoring the rest of the group staring at him.  
  
"So, Inuyasha," Sango said slyly, "you have a good time water-skiing?" Inuyasha bared his teeth at her, then smirked. "So, Sango, you have a good time with Miroku?" Sango stiffened and walked off, blushing bright red. Kagome tugged his ears, hard, and said, "Inuyasha, I thought we had worked on your people skills!" She shrugged off his arm and ran to go comfort Sango, who was really upset. Miroku was confused about the entire thing, while Kohaku was glaring daggers at Inuyasha. Everyone else was trying their best not to laugh as they waited for the girls to return.  
  
Sango and Kagome finally did return, and everyone went their separate ways on the beach. Koga, Inuyasha, and Sesshoumaru were racing from the shore to a big rock, where Kagome was sitting, waiting for them. Shippo was building a sandcastle, with Sota's help. Rin was floating in the surf, relaxing. Kohaku was looking for crabs to put into a watery pit he made for them for the day. Ayame, Mrs. Higurashi and Kikyo were just relaxing and enjoying the beach. After discovering Miroku bothering other girls, Sango offered to go surfing with him on her boomerang, since it fit two people. He agreed happily, and they had a great time. Kirara was on Sango's shoulder, enjoying the free ride.  
  
Everyone was staring at the band, wondering if they were just an illusion or if they were actually there. Some chased after everyone, begging for an autograph. Inuyasha saved the day by threatening to use the wind scar unless they left the group alone. The fans walked slowly away, trying not to turn back around and bother everyone. The rest of the day was pretty uneventful, except for when Shippo pretended to be a shark and scared everyone half to death. The group hung out at the beach until they got hungry, and had dinner and came back. Almost everyone was gone except for loyal fans, so when they brought back their instruments and gear, they cheered wildly and cleared out an area for a stage.  
  
"We decided you guys have been waiting so long on us, and we want to give you our gratitude and have a short concert!" Sango yelled into the equally loud crowd. The band got ready to play, as Sango finished with the introductions. The band played Owari nai Yume, Yura Yura, Grip, I Want to Change the World, and finished with I Am. The crowd loved it, and lots of people filmed the impromptu concert. The band had a lot of fun as well, not having to stretch their abilities to cover a full concert, so they played much better. As they went back to the hotel, everyone was in a really good mood, ready to fall into bed and sleep.  
  
After warning Miroku that if he tried anything, he'd be sleeping outside, Sango curled up into a small ball and fell asleep, Kirara in her arms. She relaxed, falling asleep in minutes. Miroku watched her until she fell asleep, then fell asleep as fast as her, trying hard not to even move in her direction.  
  
When Sango woke up in the middle of the night, something was different. For one thing, she wasn't curled up under the covers; she was sitting up in bed. She was leaning against Miroku, his arm around her, and she was crying. He was stroking her back, trying to get her to calm down.  
  
"Sango, what's wrong?" "It's just a dream," Sango replied, trying to keep from crying again, "about Naraku."  
  
"But Naraku's been gone for five years."  
  
Sango couldn't keep not crying for much longer. "For me, Naraku's still here, still haunting me. The boy I got back that used to be my brother was not my brother. He had no memories. Then, when everything was going great, he remembers everything, and begs me to get rid of his memory, and I start all over again. I hate it!" She burst into tears again, her face buried in Miroku's chest. He held her close to him, rocking with her like she was a small child. "It's okay, Sango. Don't worry about it. We all want to help you out. You're like everyone's favorite sister. Even Inuyasha thinks that way, though he'd rather adopt Shippo than admit it." Sango's muffled voice sounded quivery, like she had just stopped crying. "Sometimes, I feel like this is all a dream, that I'll suddenly wake up and lose all of you, wake up as a nobody with no friends or family, an outcast. If this is a dream, I don't want to wake up!"  
  
Miroku said nothing for a while, just trying to calm Sango down. When she had finally stopped crying, he said quietly, "This isn't a dream, Sango, this is reality. I'm never going to leave you behind. You know that, right?" Sango just nodded her head. "You must hate me, for keeping you awake like this. This really doesn't happen very often, and when it does, I just need to get it out of my system." Sango said. She looked up, expecting to see anger or annoyance on Miroku's face. Instead, he was confused. "What are you talking about? How can I hate you? Sango, I love you!" She looked up in surprise, and he kissed her gently. She blushed bright red, and said, "I love you too, Miroku." He stopped for a minute. "Sango, y-you do?" She nodded and he smiled at her. "We'll help you get your life back together, Sango. But for now, let's just sleep." Sango got under the covers of the bed, trying to keep warm. Miroku moved closer to her, arm around her. She moved closer to him, and the two of them fell asleep, oblivious to the world around them. Kirara burrowed under the covers next to Sango, and she fell asleep as well.  
  
The next morning, everyone looked well rested, except for Inuyasha, who apparently had a fight with Kagome that forced him to sleep outside. He had stomped through the suite at about three in the morning, waking everyone up except for Sango, Miroku, and Kirara. He was still mad about it, muttering and giving everyone dark looks before leaving to find some peace and quiet. Deciding to improve his mood, Sango and Ayame decided to cook breakfast for everyone. Though Sango and Ayame were the best at cooking, Rin and Mrs. Higurashi helped with breakfast. Persuaded by the smell of something not cooked by Kagome, Inuyasha came in, ready to apologize. Kagome warily accepted, and everyone was ready to eat.  
  
The breakfast was delicious, with biscuits, bacon, scrambled eggs, toast, sausage, and more. Even Kikyo had some, though she was dead and didn't need to eat. Sesshoumaru, being a full demon, didn't need food either, and opted not to eat. With everyone with full stomachs and a considerably better mood, everyone decided to figure out what to do for the day. Kikyo decided to go back to Higurashi shrine with Kagome's Grampa and Mom, as something strange had been happening for the past few days. The rest of the girls decided to go shopping at the mall, the best way to relieve stress. Miroku opted to take them there for three reasons, one because no one was going to allow him to go to the beach by himself, two because Inuyasha and the others refused to or couldn't drive, and three because he was on a mission of his own. Everyone else decided to hang out at the beach, to relax for the day. They all agreed to meet back at the hotel around three thirty, so they could go out to dinner at a nice restaurant together. Everyone went to go get dressed, so they would be able to relax almost all day.  
  
As soon as the girls got dressed, they raced downstairs so they would have plenty of time to shop. Miroku was already in the driver's seat, ready to go, looking as if he had been ready an hour ago. Sango reluctantly got into the passenger's seat, while the other three girls piled into the back, Kirara in Sango's lap. Miroku turned on the radio as he left the hotel parking lot, straight for the nearest mall. Surprisingly enough, the song on the radio was Fukai Mori, one of the band's songs. Sango turned it up, and soon the car was full of music. The girls were talking about random nonsense and pointless things on the way, oblivious to Miroku. Tired of being ignored, Miroku reached an arm over and patted Sango's backside. She hit him on the head with her purse, because her boomerang was safely stored in the trunk. Getting the hint, Kagome started talking about their next concerts. Sango was perfectly happy to be ignored as the others struck up a conversation. She started singing Owari Nai Yume softly to herself as the car pulled into the parking garage. Miroku stopped the car, and everyone got out, Kirara jumping into Sango's purse as they entered the department store.  
  
Please review! 


	4. IV

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha OR Earthbound, so phooey!  
  
Thanks to my reviewers:  
  
Born-Of-Elven-Blood: It'll all be explained in the next few chapters, I  
  
promise, I'm glad u liked it!  
  
Hedi Dracona/the-SeVeReD-HaNd - Thanks for reviewing!  
  
Chinita: I updated, like you asked, too bad its so short, and ends in  
  
ANOTHER cliffhanger! Muahahahah!!!!!  
  
Robin5791 (and everyone else that has no clue who Ayame is, I feel so sorry for you!) : Look up episode summaries for episodes 83 and 84  
  
Miroku sped out of the department store, eager to start his mission. He had agreed to them that he would meet them at the food court around noon for lunch. Rin shook her head. "I wonder what he's looking for?" "Never mind that, does this look okay on me?" Sango said as she held a dress up to her face. Rin sighed, exasperated. It seemed like nobody else cared anything about what Miroku was up to. Rin thought that it probably had something to do with one of the girls, because he wouldn't tell them. It was most likely something special for Sango, because he really cared about her. Rin's train of thought was interrupted as she stared at the dress of her dreams, stars in her eyes. Kikyo looked around at the shrine, pinpointing the location of the problem. It was one of the ancient Higurashi heirlooms. Most likely, it just needed to be resealed. "Just stay in the house for a while until I can reseal it, ok? It may get dangerous, so stay inside, I'll be fine." Kikyo said as she made her way to the old object, a wooden statue of a dragon. The rubies that functioned as scales and eyes glowed brightly with light from within. Strange, what an evil aura. It's so overpowering I can hardly breathe. Kikyo approached it slowly, almost hypnotized by its crimson stare. As she reached out to place the spell scroll onto it, it came alive, becoming huge. Before she had a chance to cry out, the soul was sucked out of her. All that remained of what had happened was an innocent-looking dragon sculpture next to a pile of clay and dirt.  
  
Miroku walked quickly until he found the store he was looking for. He entered, and went straight to the nearest saleslady. He took a moment to catch his breath, and then asked the woman something quietly. She thought hard for a moment, then smiled and nodded. She went behind the counter, unlocked a cabinet, and got two items out quickly. She brought them to Miroku, and he stood stock-still for a moment, amazed. These are perfect for Sango! I'll ask Kagome what she thinks once we meet for lunch. She won't tell anyone, I'm sure of it. Miroku thought as he paid for the two items and left the store with a smile on his face. He knew the girls would be a little late, so he went ahead and ordered some lunch and sat down at a nearby table, waiting for everyone else.  
  
The other guys were at the beach, being bored. There wasn't very much to do, and swimming a lot was very tiring. They rented the boat for a while, but that got boring, too. Deciding to go somewhere else, they drove all around town, looking for things to do. After a pretty much fruitless search, the guys agreed to go to the local arcade, and play there all afternoon. Inuyasha was overjoyed at getting to play video games all day that he acted like a little kid, his eyes glued to the screen as his sharp claws made imprints in the buttons as he pressed them. Amused by his little brother, Sesshoumaru decided to have a tournament, to see who was the best video-game player. A lot of other kids in the arcade thought that that was a great idea, and the arcade's manager even threw in a plastic trophy as a prize. This is definitely better than the beach! Inuyasha thought as he beat his brother for the 30th time, becoming one of the finalists in the competition.  
  
The girls sat down with a sigh at the table, tons of shopping bags at their feet. "Well, we definitely stocked up!" Sango said sheepishly. "It'll take the rest of the afternoon just to show you all of the stuff we got, so what did you get, Miroku?" Kagome said. Miroku shrugged, and held up a white plastic bag, with no markings on it at all. Miroku looked over in Sango's direction, and Kagome nodded. He couldn't tell them while Sango was there. Sango, oblivious to the exchange, asked Miroku to show them, but he shook his head, saying that they'd all see it eventually. They talked all the way through lunch about random things, and then went to go throw their trash away. Kagome told the others that her and Miroku were going to go look at a kiosk nearby, so they went to the nearest one and got on the other side, facing away from the others.  
  
"Well, here's what I got her." Miroku said as he pulled the objects out of a bag. Kagome gasped. "They're beautiful!" She was right. One of the objects was a silver necklace with a bright red ruby gem in the middle. Small diamonds dangled on each side, catching the light like tiny prisms. The other item was a by diamonds. "So silver ring, a ruby in the center surrounded, you like them?" Miroku asked, wanting to make sure he heard right. Kagome nodded, and Miroku smiled. "I'm planning on asking her to marry me tonight, so don't spoil the surprise, ok?" "Aww, that's so sweet! Sure, I won't tell a soul!" Kagome smiled widely and the two of them went back to the table together.  
  
"So, are you ready, puppy?"  
"SHUT UP, you mangy wolf!"  
"Little brother, stop arguing and start the game. We want to watch the  
final round, not you two hurling insults at each other." "BE QUIET!" Inuyasha and Koga yelled in unison, and continued arguing. Sesshoumaru stared at them, shocked that they would tell him, Demon Lord of the Western Lands, to be quiet. Inuyasha realized what he had said, and elbowed Koga. He figured out the same thing, and stopped talking, plugging the game in. An air of tension set in as the game began, both guys leading and then falling behind. Both of them only had one thing in mind: To prove to the other that he was more worthy of Kagome by winning the tournament.  
  
"Kikyo?" Sota timidly called her name as he entered the storehouse. Kikyo wasn't there, only a wooden dragon statue with a pile of smashed pottery and dirt nearby. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, except that the ancient priestess was nowhere in sight. Sota wondered where she could be, and then thought of something else. That dragon couldn't have killed her, could it?" Sota wondered as he stared at the pile next to the dragon. He paled as he realized something, and ran for his mother, calling her name.  
  
Finally finishing lunch, the group decided to finish shopping together, Kirara carrying the bags. They wandered around the mall aimlessly, going into some stores and completely ignoring others. Miroku found a small store called Earth Bound, and he motioned the girls in. It turned out to be a very interesting store. Paper lanterns and stars hung from the ceiling and giant fans adorned the walls next to tribal masks and mirrors. There were all sorts of things, like macramé jewelry and hermit crabs, and lots of incense. The group wandered around in that store for a long time, and they each bought a lot of stuff for themselves or to decorate the tour bus. It was almost time to leave, so they loaded up the car and drove to the hotel, music blaring all the way.  
  
They arrived at the hotel with everyone else, surprisingly enough. Kagome's family walked quickly, nervous about something. Inuyasha was practically skipping for joy, as he had won the video game competition. Koga slouched behind them, and Sesshoumaru sailed by, as though it was all a worthless game that didn't matter. The girls were way behind everyone, dragging along their heavy bags, Kirara helping as much as she could. They took the elevator up to the room, and stayed there the rest of the afternoon to rest and unpack bags.  
  
Kagome went into Sango's room. "Let me help you with your bags, ok?" Sango nodded gratefully as Kagome took the items out of their bags, admiring them. "Are you okay? I heard you crying last night." Kagome said, worried about her. "I was having another nightmare, about Naraku and Kohaku." Sango said in a dull monotone. "Oh, not again."  
  
"Yeah, again. Of course, last night I just couldn't stop crying. At first, I was hoping Miroku didn't notice, but I'm glad he did."  
  
"What'd he do?"  
"Well, he sat up with me and listened to me, and made me feel better.  
He also told me."  
"Told you what?"  
"He told me that he loved me, and that everyone wanted to help me get  
my life back together, even Inuyasha."  
"Wow. It seems like when he's not being a pervert, he's a really nice,  
sweet guy."  
"I wonder if we'll ever figure him out." "Probably not, he's a guy!" The girls were laughing as they finished unpacking Sango's things, and they went into the other master bedroom to unpack Kagome's bags.  
  
Meanwhile, the others were becoming unnerved about what Sota and Mrs. Higurashi said. "And all that was left was some clay and dirt." Sota said as he finished the story. Rin looked frightened, but Inuyasha looked grave. "And that's all that's left of her?" he asked slowly. "Yes, I think the dragon has her soul, but the spell scroll she tried to use keeps it from moving anywhere." Inuyasha sighed, and said, "Well, as much as I hate to say this, we'll have to ask Grandma Kaede." Disdain was evident in his voice, because he hated Kaede for meddling in his life too much. "But, how will we ask Lady Kaede?" Miroku's voice interrupted his thoughts. "The well was sealed five years ago, and we can't go through there." Inuyasha shrugged. "Well, if nothing happens, there's no reason to go to Kaede's, right?" The group nodded and the discussion ended.  
  
The two girls finished putting their things away, and Miroku explained everything to them, about what had happened at the shrine. Kagome brushed it off, like Inuyasha, but Sango was worried. "Why did it come alive in the first place? Something about this entire problem bothers me. Something is very wrong." "I agree, but there's nothing we could do. It would be helpful to ask Kaede, if we could find her." Miroku said, and then went to the bedroom Sango shared with him, and got something out of his suitcase. "Well, there's no sense in worrying. If Kaede can't be reached, she'll find us somehow." He left the room, going into the other bedroom.  
  
"Come on, we've gotta get ready for dinner!" The other girls came into Sango's room, new clothes and makeup in hand. They all sorted through their new clothes until they found an ensemble that matched. Sango chose a pretty red sleeveless shirt covered in gold glitter with a short black skirt and a silver chain belt. Kagome found a cute pale pink top with a darker pink skirt. Ayame got out a navy blue short dress with light blue glitter all over it. Rin picked a green glittery top and a short denim skirt. The girls pooled their jewelry together and each chose earrings, a necklace, and a bracelet that matched their outfits. They found matching silver hoop earrings, but the rest of their jewelry was completely different. Sango had a red ribbon choker with a silver dragon charm, and a matching bracelet. Ayame chose a long gold necklace with a light blue stone, and a small gold bracelet. Kagome had a silver necklace with pink rhinestones, with a matching bracelet. Rin had a silver choker with green beads, and two beaded bracelets that were a pretty green.  
  
Ayame offered to do everyone's makeup, as usual. Sango had her customary eye shadow color, with pale pink lip-gloss and some glitter. Kagome nearly matched Sango, but with lighter eye shadow. Rin had pale green shadow and tons of glitter. Ayame had blue eyeshadow, with darker pink gloss and no glitter. The girls even styled their hair different. Rin kept her hair down, but curled it just a little bit, so her hair was wavy. Ayame left her hair down as well; a small iris blossom perched near an ear. Kagome pulled hers up into a loose bun, tied with a small amount of pink ribbon. Sango pulled hers up into a tight bun, secured with two hair chopsticks that matched her outfit perfectly. Finally ready to go, they left the bedroom.  
  
The girls went into the living room and sat down, waiting for the guys to arrive. "Why aren't they already out? We take a lot longer than them to get ready!" Kagome wondered aloud. "It's obvious that they started getting ready about ten minutes ago!" Sango said with a laugh. Sure enough, the guys came in ten minutes after the girls, taking forever to get ready. They looked nice; even Inuyasha had on a suit with his hair actually brushed. Since all of the girls needed escorts, everyone tried to decide who went with whom. Inuyasha decided to take Kagome, much to the disappointment of Kouga, who instead chose Ayame. Sesshoumaru had gravitated over to Rin before any argument had ensued, so that left Sango with two "dates", Miroku and Kohaku. The rest of Kagome's family had decided to go home for the night, and rest.  
  
They went down to the car, thankfully not seen by anyone. Inuyasha and Kagome were already having an argument over why Inuyasha wouldn't let Shippo go with them. Sango laughed to herself as she patted the Kirara- sized lump in her purse. Kohaku and Miroku noticed at the same time, and had a lot of trouble keeping quiet. Kagome, finally exasperated with Inuyasha, ran up ahead, an Inuyasha-shaped dent in the floor of the hotel. He ran quickly to catch up with her, grumbling all the way. He took her arm again, and they slowed down so everyone else could catch up. Koga was halfheartedly holding Ayame's hand, but Ayame looked as if she were in heaven. Sesshoumaru was completely devoid of emotion as usual, but Rin was very hyper, almost bouncing instead of walking as Sesshoumaru led her to the car.  
  
The drive to the restaurant seemed longer than usual, as it would be with Sesshoumaru, Inuyasha, and Koga in the same car. The tension in the air was so thick that even the Tetsusaiga would get stuck. Everyone was glad when they got out of the car, to escape the dagger-like glares and muttered curses. The restaurant was just down the street from where they parked, so they started walking, careful to keep Koga separate from Kagome by putting Sango and her two escorts in the middle of the group.  
  
Suddenly, they weren't headed to the restaurant any more. There was no sign of the modern world left, just a dirt road surrounded by trees. The nearly non-existent moon had become a brightly shining full moon. Nobody was wearing the same outfit, it was like they were back in the. "Feudal Era." Sango whispered as she noticed that her outfit was a lot like her demon- exterminator armor. As they entered a clearing, the group was surrounded by demons. The leader, a spiderhead-like creature, spoke in a raspy voice. "At last, our revenge! Die as we avenge our kin!"  
  
The demons began to get into a formation as everyone else did the same. Sango and Miroku were back to back. "Just like old times, eh, Sango?" Sango smirked as Kohaku got on Kirara. Rin got behind Kagome, who was at the back of the clearing, arrows ready to fire. Koga and Ayame were on either side of her, snarling and ready to attack. Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha were on opposite sides of the clearing, waiting for the demons to attack.  
  
The first wave of attacks came without much warning. The first bolt of light headed straight for Miroku. Sango looked back, to make sure that he was all right. In that moment of weakness, the second bolt rammed into her stomach. She fell to her knees, bleeding profusely and in great pain. "Sango!" Kagome called her name, worried about her, but Miroku went over to her, and helped her stand. She felt dizzy, and was grateful for the support. She was about to fall again, but Miroku picked her up, carrying her out of the line of fire, and letting her lie down in another clearing nearby. "You okay?" Miroku asked, worried about her. ".So.tired.want.rest" Sango managed to get out. She was in great pain, and wanted to sleep. "Try to stay awake, Sango. We'll go find help as soon as we can." He picked her up again, and raced through the woods, running as fast as he could go. Sango could barely keep her eyes open as trees whizzed past her vision. She was in great pain, still bleeding, her blood staining the monk's robes. Miroku kept telling her to stay awake, and keep her eyes open. "I.can't" Sango said as darkness engulfed her, and her pain disappeared along with her consciousness. 


	5. V

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, but these characters are mine: Amari, Sakura, Youjou, Iroka,  
  
To my reviewers-  
  
Noname - Do you really think that I would kill Sango off? She's my favorite character!  
  
Koinu - Yes, I'll have lots of fluff eventually, I promise. Rin is Sesshy's sister, like Sango is Inu's sister, you know, like he protects her and worries about her, but they're NOT IN LOVE (yet) Besides, she's only 13, what do you expect? Sesshoumaru isn't THAT gross. Yes, san/mir will get marr-oops, I just ruined it for you, so just read on! There's a chance in the epilogue.  
  
Robin - Glad u like it! I updated, finally! Yes, Kikyo dies, FOREVER!!! Yay! I'll tell u abt the play, I promise. Also, I'm trying to space it out, so be patient so I can space the rest out, ok?  
  
Noname - I'm glad you thought that was cute, but Sango just woke up from being asleep for a week, so wouldn't you think she'd be too weak? Don't worry, Inu does it for her  
  
Robin - Here ya go, my next update! Enjoy!  
  
Thanks for reviewing! If someone cough ROBIN cough would let me work on this at my own pace, I promise, I'm trying to get these chapters out as fast as I humanly can, but I have tons of schoolwork right now. Once we start getting into holidays and free weekends, I'll write more. Y'know, I get up an hour and a half early every day to work on this(not the entire time), so here ya go! This is my first time of writing fluff, so be nice, or tell me how to improve please!  
  
Sango awoke, her wounds a dull, throbbing pain. She was leaning against a rock that kept her sitting up. Her wounds were neatly bandaged, and she felt much better. "So, I guess you found help?" Sango asked, staring at Miroku's back. He seemed to jump about three feet in the air, and then turned around. "You're awake! You had us worried!" He went over to her as fast as he could, and kissed her. She blushed, and asked, "How long have I been asleep?" Miroku ignored her; instead, he went further into the cave. "Amari, she's awake!" The mention of that name sparked some memory in her. As Amari entered the cave, Sango realized who she was. "Amari!" "So glad you're awake, Sango onee-sama." She gave her "sister" a hug. "Sisters?" Miroku asked. He had never known Sango had another sister. "I'm actually Sango's older cousin, but when I lived in the village, we were just like sisters. We have a lot to catch up on, so would you mind standing outside, keeping watch for the others?" Miroku nodded, and left them alone.  
  
"So, how did you get here? I thought you had died with the rest of my village. You were visiting at the time." Amari saddened, but answered her question. "I was called away to tend to my husband. He was wounded in battle, and he died that same day. I lost all of my family that day, as well, but then I heard rumors, of how a female demon slayer survived a massacre of her kin, trying to save her brother from the malevolent half- demon Naraku. I also heard about a priestess traveling with you, who wore strange clothes, and was said to be the reincarnation of the priestess Kikyo. All of them agreed that you traveled with her and a perverted monk who, they said, had a 'relationship' with you. Some of the more outlandish ones included a hanyou as strong as any demon, and a young kitsune. Of course, I had to find out if these rumors were true. I went to Grandma Kaede, and she told me your story. She noticed unnaturally strong spiritual powers, almost as strong as Kikyo herself, so she began training me to become a priestess."  
  
"So, how long had I been asleep?" Sango asked as Amari began bandaging her wounds again. "Oh, about a week. You really scared us about halfway through, you got really sick. Miroku was really worried. The poor guy hasn't slept all week, he's been worried about you." Sango was surprised. She didn't think that he cared that much. "Where are the others, anyway?" "Oh, a few days ago, when you began to get better, Inuyasha and the others left to go hunting. They're also going to pick up my kids." "Oh, Sakura?" Amari smiled. "I also have twins, Iroka and Yojou. They're five, and looking forward to meeting Aunt Sango." Sango smiled, and then looked around her. She realized that she was in the cave that showed evidence of Priestess Midoriko and her final battle: it was the cave near her village. Ever since the Shikon Jewel was rendered useless to everyone, thanks to Inuyasha, the cave was more accessible, but it welcomed the Inuyasha gang at all times. Her thoughts were interrupted with Miroku's voice. "Welcome back! Sango's awoken!" Inuyasha and the gang were back!  
  
Kagome sighed in relief as they neared the cave. For one thing, she wanted to actually sleep in a cave, protected by stone, instead of on the muddy ground of the outdoors that they had been sleeping on for the last two nights! She was also worried about Sango. They left right after she seemed to be improving, but she could have gotten worse. Inuyasha was most likely worried about Sango, too, as he was growling menacingly, although that may have been because Koga was as close as possible without running into them. "What's wrong, Inuyasha?" Kagome said before playing with his ears for the millionth time that day. The half-demon growled a little louder before replying. "With our luck, Sango'll wake up with Amari gone, and just Miroku. If he does anything like himself, I'll kill him." Kagome laughed, and replied quickly. "Inuyasha, just because you treat Sango like a younger sister doesn't mean you can keep a hawk's eye on her. She can take care of herself."  
  
Inuyasha mumbled something unintelligible as they got in sight of the cave's entrance. Kagome saw Miroku at the opening, waving and yelling, "Welcome back! Sango's awoken!" Kagome pulled on Inuyasha's ears, slowing him down so she could jump off and run the rest of the way. As she ran through the barrier, she felt a warm tingling that she always felt whenever she went into the cave. She smiled at Amari, who was almost identical to Sango, even wearing the same outfit though hers was blue. Kagome smiled back, and then ran to the middle of the cave, where she thought that Sango would be. Everyone had been really worried about her, especially Miroku and Kohaku. "Sango?" Kagome called her name as she ran, and noticed that Inuyasha was behind her. "Come in." Sango said weakly as the two of them went to talk to Sango.  
  
Sango was leaning against Miroku, her eyes closed. Miroku looked like he was about to fall asleep himself, his arms around her waist. Kagome said, almost silently, "Aww, how cute!" Inuyasha's ears twitched as he came nearer. "Feh. Sango?" The demon exterminator had opened her eyes and was looking at Inuyasha. "What?" She mumbled as she woke up a little more. "Could ya move over just a little? Yeah, that works." After Sango had complied, Inuyasha slapped Miroku across the face, hard. Miroku jolted awake and stared at Inuyasha in disbelief. "What did I do?" Miroku asked accusingly. Inuyasha shrugged. "I dunno, you just looked like you deserved it." Kagome was about to kill Inuyasha, but then she heard Sango. She was laughing uncontrollably, rolling on the floor, tears streaming out of her face. When she finally got her laughter under control, she told a startled Inuyasha, "Sorry, I've imagined you slapping Miroku for something or other, and it just struck me as funny."  
  
"So, it sounds like you're feeling pretty good, considering you've been asleep for a week!" Kagome said once everything was relatively normal again. Sango took a while to reply. "It's been crazy, since I just found out that I have a cousin, and I'm still kinda confused about what happened that night, after Miroku took me and ran into the woods. I lost consciousness soon after that." Inuyasha and Kagome looked at each other. "You sure you want to hear it, Sango?" Inuyasha said. Sango nodded, and Kagome and Inuyasha sighed in unison as they began their tale. *~*~*~*~*FLASHBACK SEQUENCE*~*~*~*~*  
  
After Miroku ran off with Sango, the leader of the demons chuckled, a rasping laugh. "If you're that easy to defeat, this should be easy." Inuyasha was shaking with rage. "DAMN YOU!!!" he yelled, scaring everyone in the clearing, including the leader demon. "IF YOU KILL SANGO, I'LL." The lead demon interrupted him. "What, this 'Sango' your girlfriend?" Inuyasha said nothing, but charged at the demons full speed, yelling, his Tetsusaiga blazing red. He managed to kill three of the demons, slicing them through with his sword. Everyone else stood still, amazed by his ferocity and rage. The demons finally came to their senses, and began to form balls of white- hot lightning with their staffs, like the one that hit Sango. Inuyasha ignored this, going for a fourth demon. As he killed it, he was hit with lightning in a dozen places.  
  
Inuyasha's defeat spurred everyone to action. Kagome shot an arrow, aiming straight for the main demon, and hit. She quickly pulled Rin behind the rock formation they were standing on to avoid the lightning. Sesshoumaru was slashing demons right and left, killing them with his poison claws. Kohaku was in a rage, attacking everything that came within range with deadly accuracy. Koga and Ayame charged, using only their claws to kill the demons. Lightning flew through the clearing like deadly rain, being avoided by everyone. Soon, there was only the main demon left, and he looked visibly shaken. "No matter, I'll kill you all, starting with that little girl. He pointed to Rin, who had left the safety of Kagome. As the lightning began forming on the staff, she screamed in terror. Sesshoumaru, losing all composure, screamed "RIN!" as he ran towards the demon, killing it before it even finished the lightning.  
  
Everyone was in shock. Had Sesshoumaru really done that? Rin ran to Sesshoumaru, sobbing with fear. He picked her up and carried her out of the clearing, calming her down. Inuyasha, recovering quickly, followed, Koga and Ayame right behind him. Kohaku, Kagome, and Shippo, who had been hiding in the bushes, rode Kirara back to the exterminator's village, where they hoped that Sango and Miroku were.  
  
*~*~*~*~*END FLASHBACK SEQUENCE*~*~*~*~*  
  
There was silence in the cavern for a few minutes. Sango spoke first. "Wow. Inuyasha, you were worried about me?" Inuyasha turned bright red, mumbled something along the lines of "Keh, stupid wench could've left that part out", glaring daggers at Kagome. She pretended to ignore him, and await an answer. He sighed as he finally turned a shade lighter than his robe, and replied to Sango, "Well, um, I was worried about you, and, um, ItreatyouliketheyoungersisterIneverhad." finishing his sentence as fast as he could. Sango stared at him for a minute, and then broke into a big smile, and hugged Inuyasha. He didn't expect this from Sango (Kagome, on the other hand.), and he blushed even brighter red. He hugged her back, thinking how weird it felt not to be hugging Kikyo or Kagome. Miroku stared, and Kagome was smiling, going into one of those 'Aw, how sweet!' modes. Sango stopped hugging Inuyasha, apparently embarrassed, and left the cavern, three very confused people behind her.  
  
As Sango entered the main cavern, she was nearly bowled over by a happy Kohaku. She hugged him tightly, and then said, "Kohaku, I'm going to go visit Father's grave. Would you like to come with me?" Kohaku's smile vanished, and he shook his head violently. Sango nodded sadly. "Anyone else want to go with me?" "We'll go!" Kagome said, dragging Inuyasha and Miroku with her. Amari agreed to go, too, and the five of them set off towards the demon-exterminator village. All that was heard from the cave was, "PERVERT!" and an echoing slap that was Sango's trademark.  
  
All five of them arrived at the village safely, though half of Miroku's face was bright red, and Sango was walking way ahead of him. As they reached the village, they noticed that it was a mess, animal nests everywhere, plants growing over everything, and the homes falling down. Everyone was stunned that that much could happen in five years, but Sango was unperturbed. "Well, let's get started!" Sango said cheerfully as she began peeling the vines off of her family's graves. Everyone else began to follow her example, Miroku and Inuyasha telling themselves that if Sango, who had been asleep for a week, could do it, then they could, too.  
  
By that afternoon, the village looked completely different. The vines on the graves had been cleared away, and fresh flowers were put in their place. The houses were rebuilt, and made much stronger so that they would last. The nests were cleared out, and the village looked like it had just been created. Sango, Miroku, Amari, Inuyasha, and Kagome sat at the edge of the lake nearby, enjoying the view. Sango tried to stand up and get Kirara, but she fell back down, dizzy. Miroku went over to her, worried, but Sango brushed him off. "I'm fine." She said, in great pain. "It's just that my wound's reopened." Amari smiled at Miroku, who looked like he thought that Sango was about to die. "Don't worry about it, Miroku, she'll be fine. She's just tired. It's been a long day. Why don't we head back now? I'm sure you all want to get back and rest for a while."  
  
Inuyasha and Kagome agreed with Amari, but Sango wanted to stay behind. Miroku offered to stay with her, worried about her safety. Amari went back to the cave, but Inuyasha and Kagome decided to hide behind a bush and spy on Miroku and Sango, to see what Miroku would do.  
  
Sango walked back towards the village, but she was walking as slowly as possible, to be in the least pain. Miroku noticed this, and caught up with her, worried. "Are you okay? Why don't I rebandage your wounds for you?" Sango wanted to refuse, but she just nodded weakly. Miroku picked her up, and carried her to the lake again. As Miroku went back to the village to get their things, Sango got into the water, shivering with cold. As she got warmer, the water was relaxing, and it eased the pain. She quickly got dressed in her normal kimono, and waited for Miroku to come back.  
  
Kagome and Inuyasha were still in the bushes, spying on Sango. Since Inuyasha had really good hearing, Kagome whispered into his ear as soft as she could. "Maybe we should go, Inuyasha. What if we get caught?" Inuyasha shook his head, and whispered back, "Feh. What can they do to us? I'm not afraid of them. Besides, I don't want to go back to the cave. I can smell that wimpy wolf and my brother, and I don't wanna be there!" Kagome nodded, and the two of them continued watching.  
  
Miroku returned with their stuff, and got out the bandages. Sango leaned against a rock, so that she could see what Miroku was doing. He lifted her top enough to see her wound, and instantly winced. Sango looked down, and saw why. The middle of her stomach was covered in dried blood, and was still bleeding in some areas. Purple and yellow bruises encircled it like some arcane tattoo. The bandages had fallen off in the water, making it look worse than ever. She looked up at him, his pained expression misinterpreted by her. "Oh, it's not as bad as it looks, I promise." Miroku shook his head. "No, that's not it. It's all my fault, isn't it?" Sango wanted to say that it wasn't, that it was only her fault for being inattentive, but she couldn't say anything. Miroku sighed as he began bandaging her wound. He was being remarkably gentle, apologizing whenever she winced with pain. "You know, you were talking in your sleep."  
  
"Huh?" Sango wasn't paying attention to anything when Miroku asked. "Oh. What was I saying?" She hoped that it wasn't anything she would regret.  
  
"Well, things like 'Stop it!' and 'Leave me alone!' Do you know what you were talking about?" Sango groaned inwardly. 'Great, did I have to be saying that?' "Oh, that. Back at the village, Father trained all of the kids to be successful. My cousin, Amari's brother, was older than I was, and he was Father's best student. Then, I began training. Even at a young age, I was faster, stronger, and better than he was. Father soon forgot about my cousin, and I was his best student. He and his friends started picking on me. Stuff like teasing me, not a very big deal. However, it got worse. They started tripping me in class, hitting me and pretending it was an accident, stabbing me hard enough to penetrate the armor in mock battles. When my cousin became a demon slayer, it started getting worse. They would ask me to go on an errand with them and then gang up on me and attack me in the middle of the woods. They would attack me until I was crying for them to stop, and then keep attacking until I was nearly unconscious. Then, they would drag me back to the village, saying that I was attacked. They told me that if I told anyone, they would kill my brother, and they would, too. My mother started suspecting foul play, and she followed them. She saw what they were doing, and told Father. They were banished. In the middle of the night, they took my brother and I, to fulfill his promise. I refused to let them kill him, and saved his life. Instead, they attacked me until I was almost dead. Kohaku brought Father, and they saved me. It happened only a few years before I met you and the others, so I guess I remember it vividly."  
  
Kagome stared at Sango, pity on her face. Sango had been through a lot more than they thought. Inuyasha was staring at Sango, a look of understanding on his face. With a sudden rush of understanding, she realized, 'He knows what Sango's talking about! That's what he's been through!' Kagome turned her attention back to where Sango and Miroku were, wanting to see Miroku's reaction.  
  
Miroku stared at Sango. He hadn't realized all that she had been through. He hugged her close to him, and she didn't seem to mind. Silent tears were running down her face, but her voice was so steady that Miroku was sure that he had been imagining it. "You know, sometimes, I wish that nothing bad ever happened to me, but then I think about what happened because of it. For example, the only reason I met Amari is because she followed her brother that night. She saved Kohaku's life, and we've been best friends ever since. Also, if Naraku hadn't taken my brother, I wouldn't have met Inuyasha, Kagome or you. So, I guess it all depends on how you look at it."  
  
Miroku mulled over what Sango had just said silently. Why was she being so positive? He was confused. Then, a voice in his head answered his question. 'That's just Sango's way of dealing with her pain, by being positive. It's easier for her to act like nothing's wrong, that she's fine. Just comfort her.' Miroku thought to himself as he looked at her beautiful, smiling face. She leaned against him, and kissed him softly. "Thanks for listening, Miroku, as always." He kissed her back, and she fell asleep in his arms, smiling slightly.  
  
Inuyasha and Kagome stared at each other in disbelief. That was definitely unexpected. They thought that they were there to make sure that Miroku wouldn't do anything stupid, but in reality, they were ruining a perfect moment. Inuyasha had the remnants of a blush on his face, and Kagome was a brilliant scarlet. They were stuck, because if they left, they would be in more trouble. They tried to ignore what was happening in front of them, hoping that they could go soon.  
  
Miroku sighed with contentment. It had been a good day. Sango finally got over her wounds, he had been able to work all day beside the one he loved, and now he knew more about Sango. Her lying in his arms and giving him a kiss put him in a state of Nirvana. He looked at her sleeping face, and knew that Sango was his true love. He picked her up gently, and began to carry her back, when he noticed something. He saw two white ears sticking out of the nearest bush.  
  
REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!!! 


	6. VI

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, but I do own Amari, her kids, and Naanaami!  
  
To my reviewers:  
  
Zero27 - Thanks soooo much for reviewing my fic! I'm glad you like it!  
  
Robin - Of course, I overlook chapters all of the time coughcough psycho coughcough. Anyway, sorry, both that last chapter and this one are going to be routine, but it'll pick up!  
  
I'm TRYING to update as often as I possibly can, and the more reviews you send, the more I respond! While you're at it, check out some of my favorite fanfics. Snickers is a good mir/san one, too.  
  
Inuyasha and Kagome were about to get up when they saw Miroku's shadow looming over them, with the queerest expression on his face. He was almost smiling, but his eyes were closed, and his eyebrows were twitching. (A/N: When the eyebrows twitch, that's a VERY bad sign.) "Have you been watching us all this time?" Miroku asked pleasantly, but Inuyasha had sworn that he had been right in the middle of becoming a full demon. Kagome and Inuyasha silently agreed not to answer him. "I suggest you leave right now." Miroku said as he went back to the cave with Sango in his arms, a very meek Inuyasha and Kagome following them.  
  
Koga stood guard at the mouth of the cave, Ginta and Hakkaku standing with him. Ginta pointed at something far off in the distance. "Look, over there!" Two small cyclones were headed toward them. "They're wolf-demons, so it must be Ayame, but who else is it?" He tried to pick up the scent, which was very familiar, but he couldn't place it. Ginta and Hakkaku, however, did. "Sis!" They said in unison as the twisters got closer, dropping off three children as one went straight for Koga. "Koga!" A wolf girl that looked faintly like Koga hugged him tightly, so tight that he thought he would run out of breath. "Nice to see you, Naanaami." Koga disentangled himself from her grip as she went for Ginta and Hakkaku, who hugged her back as tightly as they could as well. Ayame finally entered the cave, Amari's kids behind her. "Thanks for bringing Naami, Ayame, but why is she here?" Ayame smiled as she replied. "Well, we happened to pass by your pack, so we picked her up. Besides, you haven't seen each other for five years, and I thought that it would make your day." Koga stared at her, shocked. Suddenly, he was being drawn more towards Ayame than Kagome.  
  
"Thanks, it really meant a lot." Koga said as he gave Ayame a hug. She smiled and hugged him back, and then he went over to Naanaami. "Wow, you've changed a lot in five years, Naami." He was right. Naanaami was almost as tall as Koga was, and her outfit had definitely changed, now faintly resembling Ayame's. Her top was a light pink, with a magenta band along the top. Her skirt, cape, and leg cuffs matched Ayame's, except that they were black. Her armbands went halfway from her wrists to her elbows, and were black. The tie of her cape had pink gems instead of green. Her katana rested at her side, its hilt in a black fur belt. Her frizzy blond hair had been pulled into two buns at the nape of her neck, but some hair was left out to cover the sides of her face, probably to hide the fact that her ears were actually on the top of her head. They looked almost identical to Inuyasha's, but they were black, as was her wolf-like tail. A feather rested above one ear, a bright, glimmering blue that matched her eyes.  
  
Miroku arrived at the cave with Sango in his arms, and Inuyasha and Kagome behind them. "What happened?" Koga asked after seeing the triumphant expression of Miroku with Sango in his arms, and the glum expressions of Kagome and Inuyasha. "Oh, they were spying on us." Koga smirked. "You going to tell Sango?" Sango was notorious for her tirades, and it was fun to watch, as long as you weren't the target. "Oh, I'll tell her tomorrow." "Tell me what tomorrow?" Sango said after just waking up, not noticing that she was in Miroku's arms. Koga replied, "Oh, nothing. I'm going to go seal up the cave to guard it, so Naanaami, get to know everyone, ok?" Naanaami nodded as Koga left the room.  
  
Naanaami looked around the room, as if to figure out where to start first. "OK, I'm Naanaami, Koga's little sister, in case you haven't noticed the resemblance. Koga's told me a lot about all of you, so I bet I can name you all. You're Miroku," She pointed at Miroku, "the monk with the black hole in his hands, and I'm pretty sure that you, the one in his arms, is Sango, the demon exterminator, who is almost as powerful as any wolf. You must be Kagome, his "woman" and good at archery. And you must be the infamous Inuyasha, the only thing that stands between him and Kagome." Seeing their expressions, she hastily added something else to her sentence. "Don't worry, I'm not as dense as Koga. I know that you like each other, and I'll try to help you on that. Now, back to the introductions. You, of course, are Ayame, and you must be Inuyasha's brother, Sesshoumaru, and the girl that follows him around, Rin. You are Kohaku, Sango's brother, who was under the control of Naraku. Welcome back. I think that's about everyone. And Amari, I know you because of your three kids telling me about you. They're so cute!"  
  
Everyone stared at Naanaami for a few seconds with disbelief. They were shocked that she knew that much about them, but also that she said that entire statement in thirty seconds. (A/N: Some people are going to try and say what she said in thirty seconds ^^) "How do you know all of those things, and how did you say those things so fast?" Sango asked. Naanaami pondered the question, and then answered more slowly. "Sorry, I had too much sugar, and now I'm hyper and full of energy. The answer to your other question is simple. Us wolves have very good memory, so whenever we encounter someone that may be a threat or an ally, all of the other wolves know so that they aren't misinformed. Most of you were considered allies, except for Sesshoumaru, and Inuyasha, of course. That's how we know about you."  
  
Just then, Koga walked in from sealing the cave. "Come on, let's sit in the central cavern. It's more comfortable, and we can build a fire there. "Sounds great!" Ayame said, and led the way with Koga to the cavern. When they got there, they discovered that a cheerful fire was already flickering. Rin and Sesshoumaru were against the far wall of the cavern; Sesshoumaru asleep while Rin was still wide-awake. Naanaami sat between Koga and Ayame, and Sango was directly opposite, Kohaku and Miroku next to her. Kagome sat by Koga, and Inuyasha sat between her and Miroku. Amari and her three kids were next to Ayame, and Sesshoumaru and Rin were by them, with Kohaku next to Rin.  
  
Sango thought that Kohaku was staring off into space, but she soon figured out that he was actually staring at Naanaami, who was letting her hair down, letting it cascade down her back in waves. Sango elbowed Miroku, who followed Kohaku's eyes and laughed silently. "Love at first sight, I guess." Sango whispered to Miroku, who nodded. He whispered back, "But why wouldn't he fall for her? She's smart, strong, brave, and beautiful, just like his sister." Sango blushed bright red. She wasn't used to getting this many compliments. Everyone was staring at her and Miroku, as if wondering if they were going to do something. Sango turned her attention back to Naanaami, who was now asleep, leaning on Koga's shoulder, a traveler's cloak wrapped around her for warmth. "So, she's a half-demon, isn't she?" Sango asked, sure that she was right.  
  
Koga stared at Sango for a moment. "How do you know?" He asked as he tightened the cloak around Naanaami when she shivered. Sango replied, "Well, she has wolf ears, like Inuyasha, and you seem to protect her more, and worry about her more, although that may just be because she's your little sister." Koga nodded. "Yes, she is a half-demon. Our mother was a hanyou as well. I got my father's demon powers, and she got my mother's. At first, nobody wanted a weak hanyou like her in the tribe, but I couldn't leave her behind. I volunteered to train her myself, and teach her everything she needed to know. Ginta and Hakkaku and I have trained her ever since she was little. Since then, she has become one of the strongest members of our pack." He looked with pride at Naanaami, who was still sleeping soundly. "I've missed her a lot." Koga finished as he headed deeper into the caves with Naanaami slung over his shoulder, Ayame at his side. "Man, I'm tired. We should all get some rest." Everyone else agreed, and Sesshoumaru awoke, taking Rin in the direction that Koga went.  
  
Everyone else simply slept right where they were, because they were so tired. They woke up the next morning, bright and early. Kaede was supposed to come to the cave and help explain things a bit more. Miroku very discreetly told everyone to come with them to the village, and so they went. Amari opted to stay behind and guard the cave, as she had heard enough of Sango's tirades to know that she would be able to hear it just as well from there. As Miroku and the others reached the village, he stopped Sango, thinking that it was very convenient that they were in the middle. "Sango, last night, I happened to find Inuyasha and Kagome spying on us." There was a pause, and then "WHAT?!?!"  
  
Sango had been yelling for the past ten minutes, things like "HOW COULD YOU?" and "HOW DARE YOU!" and things along that line. When she finally screamed herself hoarse, she sighed and sat down for a minute on a nearby rock. "Did you think that maybe you weren't supposed to hear that story I told?" Sango said in a softer voice. Miroku was a little surprised. Usually, Sango would yell herself hoarse and then walk off and be mad for the rest of the day. "Why weren't we supposed to hear that?" Kagome asked Sango. She sighed. "Because now you pity me, I know you do. I hate having people feeling sorry for me. That's why I haven't told you, and wouldn't have told anyone until Miroku noticed me talking in my sleep.  
  
"I don't pity you." Inuyasha said, going up to Sango. "I've gone through more crap than you can imagine. It helps me to understand you better, though. Besides, don't keep your feelings to yourself like that. Tell someone, so it doesn't eat you up inside. We want to help, but we can't if you won't tell us anything. Trust us." (A/N: Wow, Inuyasha's being NICE?! Who knew?) Sango nodded, and smiled. "Thanks, you guys. C'mon, we need to get back to the cave before Kaede gets there!" The rest of the group followed her, Miroku glad that Sango wasn't angry any more.  
  
When they had arrived back at the caves, Kaede was already there. Everyone started asking questions at once, but Kaede made them sit down and listen to what she had to say. "Kagome, what happened before this, and where is Kikyo-onee-sama?" Kagome then told her what had happened at the shrine. Kaede considered this, and nodded, apparently reaching her answer. "That is a very interesting story, indeed, child, and I don't know how ye got here, but ye must find the other dragon statue. All ye must do is destroy the other one, and things will go back to normal. However, this other statue is at Mount Hakurei, buried with the priest that became Naraku's pawn. Ye should get going as soon as ye can, so that ye can set to rights everything that has happened."  
  
Kaede stayed at the cave for quite a while, catching up on everyone's lives. By the time she had left, it was a few hours after lunch, and a meal still hadn't been prepared. Inuyasha was incoherently muttering that he wanted his ramen, and everyone was getting cross. Luckily, Sango and Ayame were secretly preparing lunch before Kaede left, so everyone was served within five minutes, saved from insanity. "So, Mount Hakurei, huh?" Miroku asked as he ate his ramen with manners. Inuyasha, however, was not; he was slurping and smacking and licking the bowl. Kagome looked absolutely mortified, and scooted away from him. "Well, when should we get started? The sooner we start, the sooner we go home." Sango said as she finished her ramen. The gang all decided to leave in the morning, except for Sesshoumaru, who said he needed to see how his "subjects" were doing, since he was the Demon Lord of the Western Lands. They figure out the general direction of Mount Hakurei, and Miroku thought that it might be wise to pass by acquaintances so that they would have a place to stay, like Koharu, Jinenji, and Prince Kuranosuke. (A/N: The prince that wants to marry Sango; I'm sure I got the name wrong, but I can't find the name anywhere!) By the time that conclusion was reached, dinner had already been eaten, so almost the entire day was wasted.  
  
"Hey, Naanaami, do you want to come to the Hot Springs with us?" Sango asked as she figured out the five nearest hot springs, three of which were safe from Miroku (Or so she thought).  
  
"Sure!" Naanaami said, and she raced out of the cave with Sango's directions. Shippo was pouting, mad that Inuyasha wouldn't let him go, too.  
  
Kagome and Sango reached the clearing, using the fastest way there because they had been there many times. "Wow, you've been here before, haven't you?" Naanaami said as she looked at them. "Well, yes," said Sango, ", we've been here before, and it's the biggest one around. Plus, Miroku can't get in." "Are you sure?" Kagome asked, not completely convinced. "Well, we've never caught him here." Sango said, and dropped the subject. Leaving her clothes by the side of the springs, she dived into the water, ready to relax. Ayame and Kagome soon followed her example, basking in the heat. Naanaami and Amari stood at the edge, Amari's oldest daughter Sakura at her mother's side. "Well, come on!" Sango said as she swam around along the edge. Naanaami dived right in and came back up, completely relaxed. Sakura ran into the warm water, a laughing Amari following her daughter.  
  
"So, you said that you and Amari were demon exterminators?' Naanaami asked curiously. "Yeah," Sango said, "we were some of the only female demon slayers, the only ones in our village. Amari wanted to prove that women could be slayers, too, and she was my role model, so, naturally I followed in her footsteps. It was really hard, but a lot of fun, too. By the way, I think you'd make a good demon exterminator, because you listen, and are very attentive. Both are good attributes of a demon exterminator." Sango finished as she leaned over to get something she had dropped, exposing her scarred back.  
  
"What happened?" Naanaami asked Sango, puzzled. Sango's smiling face immediately became sad, but Kagome was sure she had imagined it because it very quickly changed back to how it was. "Oh, my brother did that to me, when he was under Naraku's control." "Oh." Naanaami said softly. She apologized, but Sango just brushed it off, telling her not to worry about it. Kagome decided that this was a good time to change the subject. "So, Naanaami, you have a crush on anyone?" Naanaami mumbled "Kohaku" under her breath, her face bright red. Sango grinned, and after telling Naanaami that he liked her too, she practically glowed. Because it was only fair, Naanaami asked everyone else whom she had a crush on. Trusting Naanaami, they all told her (A/N: Do I have to tell you? Amari doesn't like anybody yet). Sango wrapped the makeshift towel she had created from her green skirt around herself, and was about to get out. Then, she saw it: A bit of purple cloth and the tip of a gold staff sticking out from behind a tree (A/N: Wow, nobody can spy and get away with it in this story! LOL.)"MIROKU! WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?" Miroku walked out from behind the tree. "Oh, just going for a walk, why?"  
  
"Were you watching us, Miroku?" Sango asked, her voice fading to a sound that was almost inaudible.  
  
"Only you, Sango." That was the wrong thing to say. "Run." Sango said as Miroku obeyed her orders, leaving the clearing as fast as she could. Grabbing her boomerang, she ran off after Miroku, yelling his name. Kagome and the others decided that now was a good time to leave the hot springs, so they dressed quickly and went back to the cave, ready for dinner and a good night's sleep  
  
Sango returned about an hour after everyone else, fully dressed with her Hiraikotsu slung over her shoulder and a bruised monk following her. "Let's just say that Miroku won't be bothering us any more." Sango said when asked what had happened. Kouga and the other guys had gone hunting, so Ayame was cooking stew for dinner. Sesshoumaru had already left, despite Rin's protesting and tears. They ate in silence, then went to bed early, so that they could leave as early in the morning as possible. They all huddled as close to the fire as possible, because it was getting cold, and fell asleep quickly.  
  
Miroku awoke in the middle of the night, thinking that something had happened while he was asleep. However, nothing seemed out of the ordinary, and Miroku sighed with relief. As he was about to fall asleep, he heard something. Sango's teeth were chattering in the cold, and she was shivering. Miroku went over to her, and took off the outer layer of his robes, draping it around her. He then sat down behind her and wrapped his arms around her. She snuggled closer to his warmth, and they fell asleep instantly.  
  
Inuyasha woke up after hearing Sango and Miroku. Smirking at the sight of the two lovers, he went over to Kagome, who was shivering as well. He wrapped his haori around her, and tried to leave when he felt her hand grab his arm. Annoyed, he tried to pull away from her, but she wouldn't let go. 'Damn, she's got a strong grip in her sleep.' Inuyasha thought as he conceded defeat. Sighing, he sat next to Kagome, letting her lean on him as he fell asleep, hoping that nobody would notice them. 


	7. VII

Hi everyone! It's me again! I like the idea of the longer chapters, so here's a long one that I hope you'll like! I can't wait until Thanksgiving Break when I can write all day!  
  
To my reviewers:  
  
Koni - I'm really glad you like it! I thought it was sweet, too!  
  
Robin5791 - Sorry that you're sick, here's a chapter to make you feel better  
  
Cricket-chan - I'm so glad you like my story! Thanks for reviewing!  
  
Tsume Yamagata - You're welcome for the review!  
  
It felt like it had only been a few minutes before Naanaami had shaken Inuyasha and Kagome awake. Inuyasha wanted to go back to sleep, but Naanaami showed him that nobody else was awake. He gratefully got up, getting Kagome awake. For being Koga's sister, she wasn't a bad kid. She then woke up Miroku and Sango, the latter blushing bright red as she tried to get out from Miroku's arms, but he had a tight grip. Naanaami awoke everyone else in quick succession, and they packed everything together silently, ready to get on the road.  
  
The weather was just perfect for travelling long distances, nice and sunny with a cool breeze. Miroku had insisted on carrying Sango on his back, saying that, "My dear Sango hasn't gotten over illness yet, and I don't want her to hurt herself." (A/N: Kinda OOC, but who cares?) Sango, with meaningful looks from everyone except Koga and Inuyasha, reluctantly climbed on his back and let herself be carried, hating just about everyone coming with her. Inuyasha and Koga each had one of Amari's twin five-year olds on their shoulders, and they used them as an excuse to race each other. Everyone else was walking together and talking, trying to ignore Sango's dark looks as she tried to kill Miroku, but he walked on, ignoring everything she did to him.  
  
That morning was pretty uneventful, save for the time when Miroku decided to teach Sango a lesson and dump her into a nearby creek. She ignored him and walked by him, dripping wet. He then grabbed her by her waist and slung her over his shoulder. "LET ME DOWN NOW, MIROKU!" She was kicking and screaming until he let her down. Koga and Inuyasha had run way ahead, having a long-distance race. They ran back, very worried. "There are demons approaching, fast. Get ready." Inuyasha said as he and Koga let the twins down and they ran to their mother. She took them, Sakura, and Rin behind the nearest rock. Shippo followed to protect them from any attacks. Everyone else got into a formation, and waited for the enemy to arrive.  
  
The demons didn't take long to arrive. They looked almost like Inuyasha, except they had tails and ears like a cat. Their eyes were catlike, and they had small demons like Kirara perched on their shoulders. "Well well well, a dog AND a wolf. I think that this'll be a good day." The leader, a female tiger, said. Inuyasha tightened his grip on the Tetsusaiga. "Maybe you should leave, because we're trying to get somewhere and we are in a hurry." Inuyasha growled as he tried not to kill them. The tiger laughed. "Oh, I'm so sorry if I got in your way, but at the moment, you're in our territory, so you have to defeat us before you can pass. Finish them off." A leopard girl stepped forward, a double-edged katana in her hands. "Prepare to die." She whispered as she began to attack.  
  
The leopard attacked with stunning ferocity, her cat demon snarling and clawing whenever it got close to Inuyasha. She tried to slash him in half with her katana, but the Tetsusaiga was already out, blocking her and forcing her back. She suddenly twirled out of the large sword's way, and flipped over her katana, at the other side of the clearing. The katana began to glow golden, and send off sparks. Inuyasha didn't know how to react, growling with his Tetsusaiga in front of him. A golden beam shot out from the sword, and hit Inuyasha in the chest. He staggered, cursing. "You really didn't have to do that, you know. You really annoy me." The dog demon said as he charged up his sword. "TETSUSAIGA!!!"  
  
There was a flash of light, and the girl was on her back, not moving. Her cat demon licked her face before disappearing; proving that Inuyasha had killed her. "You killed her!" The tiger demon shrieked, her eyes filled with murderous intent. "And I'll kill you, too, if you don't get out of my way." Inuyasha said, putting his sword back into its sheath. The cat demons began to back away, but then the leader saw Sango petting Kirara. "How dare you steal a cat demon's familiar!" The tiger said to a very confused Sango. "I'll kill you for that!" The tribe of cat demons left quickly, and the group relaxed, happy that the encounter was over. "Sango, watch out!" Miroku yelled as a poison dart headed straight for Sango's heart. Miroku jumped in front of Sango, causing it to hit himself, before falling on the ground, completely paralyzed.  
  
Immediately, Inuyasha was over there, trying to figure out what had happened. Within a few seconds, he had the answer. "He was poisoned with a lethal venom, and he'll die soon if you don't get help. Go back to the cave where we were, and he should be fine. We'll head to Kuranosuke's palace without you, and tell them where you are. Go, now!" Sango was about to protest, but Kirara was already transformed, Miroku leaning on her neck. The demon slayer got onto her cat, holding onto Miroku as tightly as she could as Kirara rose in the air, about to go faster than ever.  
  
Kirara's large from became just a blur as they flew across the sky. Sango found that Miroku was getting worse, shaking and sweating. "Can't you go any faster?" Sango asked her cat, which responded with an annoyed growl, as if to say that she was going as fast as she could. The cave came into view a few minutes later, though it had taken over five hours to get where they had been. Kirara landed at the cave's entrance, and decided to stand guard, in case something attacked. Sango slung Miroku over her shoulder, staggering under his weight. He must have weighed more than twice as much as the Hiraikotsu. She let him down in the first large cavern, putting his head in her lap.  
  
Sango looked at Miroku's face. It was covered in sweat, and he was shivering. She took off her outer skirt and wrapped it around him, wiping the sweat off of his face. Miroku was still unconscious, and still looked as sick as ever, and getting worse. Sango silently prayed "Please don't let Miroku die." She repeated this over and over, hoping that someone would hear her up there, and grant her wish. Looking at Miroku's face, she remembered all of the times they'd shared together.  
  
** It would be nice if we could put away and throw out Everything except what really mattered, but Reality is just cruel.**  
  
Images of Miroku working with her to defeat Naraku flashed in her head, teaming up on him and eventually defeating him. Kohaku's face, devoid of emotion, was ingrained in her mind as well. Miroku saving him had been the best time of her life.  
  
**In such times, I see you laughing Whenever I close my eyes.  
  
Until the day I reach eternal sleep, That smiling face will Have to stay with me without fail**  
  
Miroku's smiling face often made Sango happy, even if he had just acted like his lecherous self. She always did forgive him, no matter what he did or how he acted. Memories of him were treasured in her mind.  
  
**People are all sad, so They go and forget, but--  
  
For that which I should love, For that which gives me love, I will do what I can.**  
  
It was practically impossible not to laugh at Miroku when someone got angry because of his perverted ways. Nobody was ever depressed very long in their group, because it was hard to be depressed when Inuyasha was slamming Miroku's head into the ground.  
  
**Back then, when we met, It was all awkward. We went the long way, didn't we? We got hurt, didn't we?**  
  
Sango remembered all of those roadblocks in their relationship, like his lecherous habits, her distrustful nature, Kohaku, Koharu, Kuranosuke, (A/N: AKA: The KKK of Sango and Miroku's relationship) and Naraku. They had been through a lot together, more than either of them had ever known.  
  
** Until the day I reach eternal sleep, That smiling face will Have to stay with me without fail Back then, when we met, It was all awkward. We went the long way, didn't we? We got there in the end.**  
  
*~*~*~*~*FLASHBACK SEQUENCE*~*~*~*~* Naraku was defeated, a steaming pile of dead demons, clothing, and metal armor. Kagura and Kanna had fled the scene much earlier, and Kohaku had just come back to life, and was sitting by Inuyasha and Kagome. Sango had tears streaming down her face. "Thank you so much, Miroku, for saving my brother!" Sango said as she hugged him. Miroku hugged her back, and said, "That was the first time you've ever called me by my name, instead of Houshi-sama." Sango nodded, and he lifted her face up to his, whispering, "We finally defeated Naraku." Then, in front of everyone, he kissed her for the first time. Inuyasha and Koga were shocked, Ayame and Kagome thought that it was cute, Kikyo didn't notice, Sesshoumaru was smirking, and Rin was staring, her eyes as big and round as the Shikon Jewel. Sango kissed him back, and then walked off, blushing furiously. *~*~*~*~*END FLASHBACK SEQUENCE*~*~*~*~*  
  
"You have a beautiful voice." Miroku said as he looked up at her tearstained face. Sango looked down at him, and broke into a smile. "Miroku! I was so worried about you! How are you? Are you okay?" Miroku sat up, and turned around to look at her. "I'm perfectly fine, Sango, but I thought I was a goner. Inuyasha isn't as stupid as he looks, so he told you to take me here, where there is a holy barrier. You remember at Mount Hakurei, when the Saimyousho poisoned me? It worked the same way." Sango had stopped listening, and was now hugging him as tightly as she could without suffocating him. Miroku hugged her back, and then stood up. "Well, let's get to Kuranosuke's palace before they miss us too much." Sango agreed with Miroku, and they got onto Kirara, happy to be able to sleep in a palace for the night.  
  
REVIEW PLEASE! Thanks! 


	8. VIII

Hi everyone! Sorry it took so long to update, my friend is lending me anime movies/dvds and I haven't had the time! Here's an extra long chapter just for you guys! Oh, yes, the disclaimer:  
  
I don't own Inuyasha, but I own Amari, Iroka, Youjou, Sakura, Nakama, and Naanaami!  
  
Thanks to my reviwers!  
  
Tsume Yamagata: Thanks for reviewing, you're the only one this week! *Sniffle*  
  
When they arrived at the palace, Prince Kuranosuke himself was waiting. As Sango and Miroku dismounted, Kirara disappeared into a ball of flame and reappeared as a cute kitten, jumping onto Sango's shoulder. "I've missed you, Sango." Kuranosuke said, smiling at her. "And you are . Miroku I believe." Miroku nodded. "Welcome to my palace. We happen to be having a festival today and I would like you to come." Miroku and Sango nodded their assent. A festival sounded nice and relaxing. Suddenly, a teenager about the age of Naanaami stepped forward, and extended a hand. "Hello, my name is Tanekabau, and I am Kuranosuke-sama's cousin." They told him their names, and then Prince Kuranosuke said, "Your friends are waiting for you in that room, where you can have lunch." He said, pointing out the direction they should go. Sango and Miroku walked to that room, ready to meet up with the others.  
  
"See, I told you I was right!" Inuyasha boasted as everyone saw the couple enter. Shippo was shocked. "Inuyasha actually did something RIGHT for once?" Inuyasha hit Shippo on the head with a growl. He started to cry and ran to Kagome. "Inuyasha, stop picking on Shippo. It's good that you guys are back!" Kagome said as she finished her lunch, and motioned Sango and Miroku to sit by her. "Feh. I think that that Kurano-whatever guy was afraid that we were just using your names to get us to stay here for a few nights." Inuyasha said angrily. And with that last comment, he had his 9th helping of food in about twenty seconds. Sango and Miroku quickly got their portions, and finished the meal in silence. After they had finished, Sango motioned a serving girl over. "Where should we go now?" Sango asked. The serving girl smiled, and pointed to the two doorways. "Girls go through the one on the right, and boys on the left. You have to get ready for the festival!" Sango nodded her thanks, and directed everyone through the doors, to get ready for the festival.  
  
The room the girls went into looked enormous. It was marble, and had sunken tubs, more like Jacuzzis than anything else. The other half of the room was completely dominated by a huge wardrobe and places to do makeup. "This is nice for the past." Sango muttered, so that only the others could hear her. She went for the nearest bath, and sunk into it. It was nice and warm, and smelled like flowers in spring. There were enough baths for everyone, so they relaxed for a while not talking, just enjoying the feeling of luxury. Some servant girls who were sent to help the girls get ready broke the peace. They got thick fluffy towels for the girls, let them dry off, and then swept them off to the giant wardrobe, letting them decide what outfit they wanted.  
  
Sango was shocked at the quality of the gowns. Just one yukata could keep a whole village of demon exterminators comfortable for a year. "Which one would you like, Miss?" The servant girl attending her asked. Sango replied, "Oh, I don't know. What's your name?" "Nakama, Miss." "What a pretty name!" 'I must remember to name one of my children Nakama.' "Arigatou, Miss." "Just call me Sango, OK Nakama?" "OK Mi- I mean Sango. So, have you decided on a yukata yet?" Sango shook her head. They all looked so beautiful. Nakama thought for a moment, then brought out a yukata. "How about this one?"  
  
Sango gasped. It was the prettiest in the wardrobe, and most likely the most expensive. It was mainly a pale pink, and had long flowing sleeves. The sleeves and the bottom of the skirt had darker pink flowers, and more flowers were in random places on the yukata. Small green vines threaded through the flowers. The sash was made of some shimmery silver fabric, with pink flowers embroidered onto it that matched the rest of the kimono. The new sandals looked soft and very comfortable, very plain except for the silver straps. Sango nodded her agreement, and Nakama grinned. "Well, let's get you the rest of your outfit, and I'll help you dress." Nakama said as she gathered up everything else that Sango would need to get dressed.  
  
"I think I can dress myself, I've been able to do it since I was five!" Sango said as she took the clothes from Nakama, who simply smiled. After looking at all of the odd contraptions that noblewomen wore every day, Sango said, "Well, maybe I WILL need some help." Nakama laughed as she helped Sango get on the clothes.  
  
After being corseted within an inch of her life, Sango was finally dressed. Nakama looked her over, and then said, "Now, to do your hair and makeup." Sango sat down at the nearest vanity, and Nakama motioned for her to lean back to the basin. 'This is a lot like the modern beauty salon.' Sango thought to herself. After pouring buckets of warm water over her head, Nakama poured some perfumed oil over Sango's hair, to make it smell good. She then washed Sango's hair out and then dried it with a towel, another towel draped over her shoulders so that her hair wouldn't mess up the fabric. Nakama brushed it for a long time, drying Sango's hair in the process. She then took out the containers of makeup, and began to apply her makeup. Sango was annoyed that Nakama wouldn't let her see herself, but the servant had promised that she would let Sango look when she was done. Adding some jewelry as a finishing touch, Nakama finally let Sango look in a mirror.  
  
Sango almost didn't recognize herself. The yukata was stunning on her, making her wonder if Kuranosuke had had that dress made especially for her. Her hair was glossy and shiny, and fell to her waist. The only decoration on it was small sakura petals placed in her hair. For once, she wasn't wearing her normal shade of pink eyeshadow, but a lighter color that matched her yukata. She had faint blush on, and some pink lipstick that looked like the flowers on her yukata. Her sandals matched perfectly, as did the rose quartz necklace. Nakama smiled at her handiwork, and then dragged Sango out so that she could see everyone else's clothes for the festival.  
  
Sango was as shocked to see everyone else as they were to see her. Kagome had an emerald green yukata with silvery swirls, and a silver sash. Ayame had a gold yukata with green vines, and a green sash. Rin's yukata was red, and had white flower petals on the yukata and in her hair, and had a white sash. Naanaami had a dark blue one with silver stars and moons, and a silvery sash. Amari wore a white yukata with pale blue flowers and a darker blue sash. The two little girls had simpler yukatas, Sakura in pink with a green sash, and Iroka in blue with a red sash. They all looked really good, and they walked out into the courtyard to meet the guys, who they were sure had been preparing as well.  
  
As the girls came out, one by one, everyone turned and stared. Rin came out first, and it looked like a lot of the village boys were concentrating on her a little too closely, and Sesshoumaru cracked his whip in front of them. They immediately straightened up, and watched for the next person. Kagome came next, and Inuyasha was speechless, as was most everyone else. Ayame followed her, smiling at a staring Kouga. Amari and her daughters followed, smiling before standing next to Kohaku. Naanaami came next, and the whispers of, "Oh, she's a half-breed", and "What a freak" reached her sensitive ears. However, she ignored them and stood next to Koga, who smiled at her reassuringly. Sango came out last; everyone shocked at how good she looked. Miroku and Kuranosuke stared openly, and Inuyasha whispered, "Mother." 'That's right.' Sango thought. 'Kagome said that I looked a lot like Inuyasha's mom.' (A/N: It's true, just watch episode 5) After Sango was next to Miroku, Kuranosuke shouted, "Let the festivities begin!"  
  
The festival was in full swing. The dinner was delicious, and everyone was in a good mood, except for a few people. Kohaku, who normally would be sitting with Naanaami, had found a group of friends to hang out with, and Naanaami was sitting alone. She had tried to sit with Kohaku, but the entire table had moved, and now she was alone. And, to add to her embarrassment, she was hearing every little thing they had said about her. "Kohaku, you really hang out with that half-breed freak?" "She looks horrible, with those ugly dog ears and mangy wolf tail." Her ears twitched at every insult, and tears began to puddle on her empty plate.  
  
'I'm gonna skin those people alive.' Inuyasha and Koga thought at the same time, and then lunged for that table. Sango reached back and held them back by their hair. "Let Kohaku handle this, ok? If he can't, then you can help, ok?" The two men agreed, and sat back at the table.  
  
Kohaku, noticing Naanaami's tears, turned to everyone else, fire in his eyes. "How dare you insult Naanaami! She's my friend, and I don't care if she's a half-demon or not! And I think her ears are cute." Kohaku said a little quieter, blushing as he went to sit with Naanaami, who instantly perked up. However, the whispers continued. "She's put him under a spell, that hateful freak." Naanaami's ears sagged, and she was about to leave when she saw Tanekabau stand up for her. "How dare you insult an honored guest! Stop immediately, or you will be sent away." And with that, he sat on the other side of Naanaami, who was very grateful for her saviors. Kohaku silently thanked him, and Tanekabau nodded. They started into a conversation, ignoring everyone else around them.  
  
Sango looked at the happy group, and was surprised to find Miroku's arms around her, hugging her. "You look so beautiful tonight." Miroku said. "Um, Miroku?" Sango asked. "Kuranosuke's staring, and if looks could kill, you'd be six feet under. I'd suggest that you hug me AFTER we leave, ok?" Miroku let go of her, and nodded, sighing.  
  
Suddenly, Kuranosuke grabbed Sango, saying, "Would you like to dance?" Sango nodded graciously, but as she walked off, she gave the group a look of utter despair.  
  
"Prince Kuranosuke?" "Yes, Sango?" "I'm feeling a little bit tired after our journey, so do you think I could sit this one out?" Sango could see his disappointment, but he nodded graciously, letting her sit back at her table. Some other princesses that wanted to marry the prince were crowding around him, hoping that they could have the first dance with him.  
  
Sango sighed in relief as she sat back down at the table, where she could have a conversation with her friends. "I'm glad Kuranosuke bought it," she said, "I really don't know how to dance." "I could teach you." Miroku said. "Let me finish my dinner first!" Sango said in exasperation as she worked on finishing her meal, which was delicious. Just as she was done eating, Kohaku and Naanaami dragged her to the dance area, where a fast song had started. Miroku followed Sango, smiling, as the young couple ran to the center, dancing faster and more accurately than anyone else. Sango tried to look at other's examples, but she just tripped over her own feet whenever she tried to dance. She nearly screamed with frustration, and then Miroku came up to her, taking her hands. "Here, I'll teach you." Miroku said, slowing down so that Sango could see what he was doing. Sango quickly got the hang of it and the couple went over to dance next to Kohaku and Naanaami.  
  
As the song ended, Miroku went off to flirt with some of the village girls, something he hadn't done in a long time, and Kuranosuke managed to grab Sango before she could leave the dance floor. She accepted, and they started dancing together. The song was fast once again, and was over quickly. Kuranosuke was about to ask Sango for the next dance as well, but someone yelled, "Let's have a tournament!" The audience agreed, and the dance floor was soon replaced with a padded arena. Everyone was scrambling to find someplace where they could change into their battle uniforms. Sango had convinced Nakama to let her wear her cat suit under her yukata, so all she had to do was to take off the yukata and the things underneath, and put on her armor and get her katana. She left her room, and went to the sign-up table for the tournament.  
  
The line was very long, as almost everyone wanted to try for the tournament, for the prize was rumored to be very valuable. As Sango joined the line, nobody looked too surprised that she was going to try for the grand prize. The line quickly became shorter as more people signed up, and then Sango got to the front. The scribes wrote her name down, and she was led off to where her weapons and armor would be inspected. The tournament was all for fun and nobody needed to be killed. Sango's choice weapon, her katana, was coated in wax so that the point wouldn't be lethal, and she walked over to where everyone else who had signed up was.  
  
"So, you guys signed up too?" Sango asked as Inuyasha came into view. As she got closer, she noticed that Miroku, Sesshoumaru, Koga, Ayame, Amari, Kagome, Shippo, Kohaku, and Naanaami had signed up as well. "Do you know what the prize is for winning the tournament?" Naanaami asked curiously. Sango shook her head, and looked over at where the total number of people competing was being written up. "Two-hundred fifty six people? That's a lot!" Shippo said as some of Kuranosuke's soldiers came over to them, showing whom they would fight first. They all went over to the arena, ready to begin.  
  
The first round was pretty well matched, though Shippo was defeated by someone quite larger than he was. He moped for a while before going to Rin for comfort. Kagome was defeated in the next round, though she fought hard. The third round was even tougher; Kohaku and Naanaami were eliminated. The wolf girl was quite depressed for a while, but Kohaku comforted her and she soon was back at the spectator's stand, cheering the rest on. Sesshoumaru went against Inuyasha and lost in the fourth round, and Ayame beat Amari in the fifth round.  
  
By this time, only sixteen contestants were left, and five of them were from the Inuyasha group. Miroku was defeated in the sixth round, and the others barely won. Ayame lost in the next round, and Koga lost in the round after that. As Sango looked around, she realized that the other finalist was Inuyasha. 'Great!' Sango thought. 'I don't want to fight Inuyasha. Oh, well.' She stepped forward, and Inuyasha did as well. A cheer arose from the stands. (A/N: Do they even have stands in feudal Japan?) The strongest girl warrior and a half demon fighting, this would be interesting.  
  
Sango stretched for a minute, looking at Inuyasha. "Well, it's you and me, Inuyasha, although there is one difference. I don't have poison or a boomerang, and you're not going to use the Tetsusaiga." Inuyasha nodded. "Let's get this over with, Sango." And with that, he charged with a katana in hand. Sango dodged by rolling to the side, and got back up instantly, charging at Inuyasha, who ducked and tried again to attack her. The battle went like this for a while, and then Sango began to get tired. Every duck was a little slower, and every sword stroke was a little less accurate. Inuyasha smirked, because he knew that she would eventually slip up, and he would win. He ducked her fierce blow and ran toward her, katana outstretched to win, but Sango had another idea. She stood up, and began running at Inuyasha, who wasn't very far away. He stopped for a minute, wondering why Sango was charging him, and then felt cold steel at his neck. Sango had won.  
  
Sango collapsed on her bed, her prize beside her. It was a beautiful dagger, the sheath blank for the moment, but it would be etched with Kirara in flight with Sango and Miroku on her back, fighting a demon. The blade was oddly shaped, but beautifully deadly. The main blade was jagged like a lightning bolt, but the end was curved outward. Sango finished examining the blade, and put it back in its sheath and placed it on her bedside table. She was about to go to sleep when she heard a rustle of rice paper next door. It was Kohaku, and Naanaami was with him. Sango decided to spy on him, and see what they were doing.  
  
"Thanks for standing up for me at the festival." Naanaami said, wearing her yukata. "It's nothing." Kohaku said, and then said something that made him blush. "You look really pretty in that yukata, Naanaami." Naanaami smiled at him, and then sat down, leaning against the wall, about to fall asleep. In an instant, Kohaku was sitting next to her, his arm around her. Naanaami snuggled into his arm, and fell asleep quickly, purring almost like a cat. Kohaku looked at her sleeping smiling face, and her cute ears (Though he could never get the nerve to actually tell her that). Getting an idea from what he had seen Kagome do many times, he started playing with her ears. Her smile grew wider, and her purr got even louder, sounding like a motor. Kohaku smiled to himself as he picked Naanaami up and placed her on his bed, sleeping on the floor next to the bed, as if to guard her sleep.  
  
Sango smiled at the cute couple. She and Koga might actually be related soon! She decided to go ahead and fall asleep, so that Kohaku wouldn't notice her spying. She was asleep almost instantly, so fast that she didn't notice Miroku come into her room. Miroku looked at Sango, who he decided, had probably just fallen asleep. He looked at her sleeping form and caressed her cheek before sitting next to her bed and falling asleep.  
  
Inuyasha and Kagome passed by both rooms, thinking about blackmail. Well, at least Inuyasha was. Kagome thought that it was so cute with Kohaku and Naanaami, and so were Miroku and Sango. Their room was right next to Kohaku and Naanaami's, because there wasn't enough room for everyone to have one room and they shared. Inuyasha carried Kagome inside, and sat on the bed, leaning against the headboard. Kagome sat right in front of him and leaned on him, falling asleep instantly. "My Kagome." Inuyasha whispered as he allowed her scent to overwhelm him.  
  
Koga walked past all three doors, Ayame on his back. "Asleep already?" Ayame asked, and then looked at Koga. "Blackmail." They both said at the same time as they finally got into their room. Koga curled up on one side of the bed, and Ayame curled up on the other. The bed was so comfortable that neither of the two had any trouble getting to sleep.  
  
Sango woke up about half an hour later, looking around the room. Stepping out of the door, she noticed that everyone had gone to bed except for Sesshoumaru and Rin, who were headed in that direction. She closed the door, and looked for Miroku. He was sitting cross-legged on the side of her bed, using his monk's staff to stay upright. She laughed, and decided that he would be more comfortable than a pillow. Moving his staff to the side, she sat in his lap and leaned against him. Instinctively, his arms wrapped around her, warming her up. As she fell deeper into sleep, Sango silently promised Miroku that if he tried anything, he'd be dead.  
  
Review please!!! 


	9. IX

I'm so sorry I haven't updated in a while! I have tons of schoolwork, but after this weekend, it'll be pretty much done! Here's a good chapter in consolation.  
  
Thanks to my reviewers (Yay! I reached 30 reviews!):  
  
Chiisai-Tori: Sorry, I'll try and get Inuyasha and Kagome more like a couple, especially in this chapter and the next one!  
  
Noname: Glad you like the blackmailing part!  
  
Fairyangel124: Wow! Lotsa people like that blackmail stuff!  
  
Cricket-chan: It's ok. Here's what happens next!  
  
Tsume Yamagata: Glad you liked the flashback!  
  
Now, on with the story!  
  
The next morning, all was calm except for a certain monk being held at knifepoint by a certain annoyed taijiya. "I warned you, Miroku!" Sango seethed with anger as her new best friend, her dagger, was making Miroku very nervous. "Y-y-you did, Sango?" Miroku asked, quivering. "I-I'm sorry Sango, I couldn't help it. When I wake up to find a beautiful girl sitting in my lap, I really don't know what I'll do!" Sango was still mad, and what Miroku said made her even madder. "Well, you didn't have to grope me! And don't think that your flattery will get you out of this, you-you pervert!" Someone tapped Sango on the shoulder, and she spun around, the dagger safely back in its sheath. "Kuranosuke-sama!"  
  
"Yes, my dear Sango? Is this man bothering you?" Kuranosuke asked, glaring daggers at Miroku.  
  
"Oh, not at all." Sango said, lying through her teeth. "We were just having a small disagreement." Kuranosuke nodded like he knew she was lying, and said, "Well, just to let you know, breakfast is ready for you and your companions downstairs." Sango curtsied gracefully, and gave Miroku a hug. "Let's go, Miroku." Sango said, and Miroku wrapped his arm around her waist, confused as to her sudden mood swing.  
  
The breakfast was delicious, and everyone had plenty to eat, even with Inuyasha and Shippo. Everyone was tired from the festival from the night before, and so breakfast was nearly silent. Everyone finished pretty quickly so that they would get to Koharu's village by dark, as it was a long way away. Sango was about to get up from the table when Kuranosuke took her by the arm, and led her away. "Kagome, pack up my things for me, okay?" Kagome nodded as Kuranosuke took Sango so she couldn't see the hopelessness in Miroku's expression.  
  
Kuranosuke led Sango to a bridge over a stream. "Sango, I have led you here before, and I will tell you the same thing I said the last time we were here together. Sango, will you be my wife?"  
  
Miroku walked away after hearing Sango hesitate. His Sango was lost to him forever.  
  
Sango hesitated before answering, but her answer was much the same as it was before. "I'm sorry, Kuranosuke-sama, but I cannot marry you. I do not fit in here, and you know that. Besides, I have something I still must do. I don't know if I'll ever return, so here is my farewell." She kissed him on his cheek, shattering his already broken heart. As he watched her retreating figure, he yelled, "I will always love you, Sango!"  
  
Sango ran to catch up to the rest of the group, panting hard. "Wait up!" Sango yelled as she finally caught up to the group. "Good, you caught up!" Kagome said. "Sorry, but the servants kicked us out for no reason." Kagome shrugged. As Sango stared at Miroku, he looked up and his eyes met hers. "Why are you here?"  
  
"What are you talking about, Miroku?"  
  
"I thought that Kuranosuke wanted you to marry him."  
  
"Yeah, but I turned him down.'  
  
"You did?" Miroku looked like a kicked puppy that was being offered a treat.  
  
"Yes. Why would I marry that selfish jerk?"  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"Kuranosuke is nothing but a selfish jerk that lays around in his castle all day and never does anything interesting! If I were his wife, I'd have to lie around all day. That really doesn't suit me. Besides, I don't like him. I like.someone else. I like.you." Sango said as she let him hug her close to him. "I missed you." Miroku said as he led her back to where the main group was.  
  
"We never acted like that, did we, Kagome?" Inuyasha said haughtily as Kagome played with his ears. "Oh, of course not." Kagome said sarcastically. "Not with Kouga or Hojo." Inuyasha decided to kiss her to silence her. "I love you." Kagome said as the kiss was finished and she hugged his shoulders. "Feh." Inuyasha said as they continued on their journey. Kagome interpreted that to mean, "I love you, too", so she  
  
The next obstacle on their journey was a deep forest (A/N: Wow, I'm listening to Fukai Mori now, o_O), but Inuyasha felt that something was wrong. "Naraku's youki." Inuyasha said, sniffing the air experimentally. This must be where we fought Naraku. Kagome thought as she shivered involuntarily. The forest looked dark and forbidding, and what looked like miasma was everywhere. They were about to enter, when they noticed someone very familiar.  
  
"No one may trespass here." Kagura said, flicking her fan so that it extended completely. "Don't make me hurt you.oh. It's you!" Kagura said, welcoming them. "I really wouldn't suggest going through, but it is the fastest way to the next village. That miasma is strong stuff, and will try to trap you. Be careful!" Kagura yelled as they started forward. "Well, she's definitely more cheerful." Inuyasha said, holding Kagome's arm so that she wouldn't go anywhere. "Be careful in here, that miasma's a doozy." As everyone walked forward, none of them happened to notice that they had all separated.  
  
Naanaami walked back to the campsite, a boar slung over her shoulder. It looked like the only two people remaining at the camp were Koga and Kohaku. "I brought dinner!" Naanaami said cheerfully, laying it down before them. Kohaku looked up to thank her, but when he saw her, his expression turned to disgust. "You filthy half-breed, how dare you come here!" Koga came up to her, the same expression on his face. "What are you talking about?" Naanaami said, tears forming at the corner of her eyes. "I thought you liked me. I thought you thought I was cute."  
  
"Me?" Kohaku asked. He looked utterly disgusted at the mere thought. "Me, think a hanyou like you was cute? Never! For that, you will die!" Kohaku pushed her to the ground and started kicking her in the side. Koga soon joined him. Naanaami was trying to stay still, tears streaming down her face, hoping that this was a dream; that she would wake up, but she never did. Suddenly, the kicking stopped, but Naanaami felt cold steel at her throat. "Die, Hanyou!"  
  
Sango awoke from her deep sleep to a horrible sight. Her companions, including Kirara and Miroku, were slaughtered, blood everywhere. She looked up to see Kohaku, his weapon dripping with blood, their blood. "Kohaku, why?" Sango said, tears streaming down her face. A sinister laugh came from Kohaku, sounding nothing like him. "Thank you, Sango, for protecting me until Naraku came back. It was only a matter of time until he took me back. Thanks to you, I was able to fulfill my master's wishes. And now," he said, swinging his chain blade, "I must kill you. Goodbye, Sango."  
  
Rin wandered around the groves of trees, lost and confused. Sesshoumaru- sama was supposed to be back now with Jaken and Ah and Un. She kept wandering until she saw someone. "Excuse me, but have you seen Lord Sesshoumaru-sama?" The creature was a demon, and to her dismay, Sesshoumaru had defeated him a few days ago. "Lord Sesshoumaru, eh? You must be the little girl he takes around with him. There fore, you must die." He slung her over his shoulder and carried her, kicking and screaming, to his lair. There, sinister-looking demons laughed at her, making fun of her. As they got to the center of the lair, he placed Rin down. "Now, don't run away, little girl. It'll hurt worse." He brandished the sword, about to swing it.  
  
Ayame went back to her old wolf den, to say hello to friends. As she neared it, she knew that something was wrong. Her feeling increased as the cave came into view, and smoke rose from it. She ran closer, only to find that the cave had been burned out. Her grandfather looked to be the only one alive, and just barely. She ran to him and lifted his head as he collapsed. "Grandfather, what happened?" Ayame said, worried for him. "Electric demons set this cave on fire. Flee while you can." Ayame's grandfather collapsed, breathing his last breath. Ayame began crying, and curled herself up into a small ball. She didn't notice the fire around her until she tried to leave. A ring of roaring flame surrounded her, and rapidly coming closer around her. "Help! Someone, please!" Ayame yelled as the flames closed in on her.  
  
Inuyasha ran faster and faster. Naraku had taken Kagome, and he was planning on using her as his servant. Kagome's scent was getting stronger, and he deduced that they must be near the mountains. The nearest village was deserted, and so he entered, Kagome's scent getting even stronger. Naraku's resurrected form had the same scent as his old form, so Inuyasha had no trouble finding him. As he entered, Kagome was laying on the floor, bruised and bloody. Naraku laughed. "Kukukukuku. I tried to use her as a servant, but she was too strong. Instead, I decided to destroy. I'll leave, so that you can have your final good-byes." He laughed again as he left. "Kagome." Inuyasha said, tears pricking the corners of his eyes. Kagome was so badly injured that she could barely move her head, and whispered, "Inuyasha. You came." Inuyasha nodded. 'But I couldn't save you, Kagome.' "I'm fading fast, Inuyasha." Kagome said. Inuyasha brought her up to him, and kissed her deeply, tasting the blood running out of her mouth. Kagome then breathed her last breath. Tears running down his face, Inuyasha took out his sword, about to kill himself. "See you in a minute, Kagome."  
  
Amari walked through the miasma, unaffected, calling everyone's names. Finally, Kagome came over to Amari. "You're not affected?" Kagome asked in shock. "No. Should I be?" Amari asked. Kagome tried to explain about the miasma. "If you have strong spiritual powers, like we do, you are unaffected. But everyone else is faced with his or her fears. You must wake them up out of their trance or they will die. Come on! We don't have much time!" (A/N: This is all happening at the same time, okay?)  
  
Miroku walked to the nearest river, his hand hurting painfully. He knew that it was time for him to die. He held back tears at both the agony and the unfairness of his life. He was supposed to have a long life ahead of him. "Miroku!" Sango called. "What's wrong, Miroku?" Miroku screamed, "Stay away, Sango!" Tears streamed down his face. "No, Miroku! I can't let you die alone!" She ran to him and hugged his waist. As the hole in his hand widened, he screamed in agony. Sango held him tighter. As they were about to go, she said, "We'll die together. I love you Miroku." Then, there was a flash of light.  
  
When Miroku looked around, he realized that he wasn't dead, nor was Sango. Then, he noticed her on the ground, bleeding. The monk quickly realized what had happened. Inuyasha and Kagome had just killed Naraku when his hand was about to consume him, and he had no bad effects. However, the backlash had hit Sango will full force, and it must have been very painful. Miroku went over to her, cradling her head in his arms. "Sango, please wake up." Sango didn't respond, just lay there, dying. As a last memory, he kissed her, and she lay still, a smile on her face. Tears streaming down his face, he carried Sango to the village and gently laid her on the ground. He didn't know what to do.  
  
Koga soon found Amari and Kagome. After being explained the effects of the miasma and bragging that he was too strong of a youkai to be afraid of some miasma, he ran off in search of anyone he could find.  
  
Kohaku was having a good time relaxing with everyone, when he was suddenly surrounded by blackness. Naraku's voice could be heard echoing through his mind. "I have a job for you, Kohaku." Kohaku shook his head. Not again. "Well, Kohaku, I guess I'll just have to force you." Kohaku then heard a voice in his head, telling him to kill Sango. Kohaku tried to go against the voice, but he kept moving forward, chain blade raised. Sango was asleep, and though Kohaku's whole body screamed not to do it, the blade went in a downward swing towards her neck, about to kill her.  
  
Shippo was still wandering around in the forest, wondering where his friends had gone. He hated being left alone. He guessed that calling for them would help, so he began calling their names. "Inuyasha! Kagome! Rin! Sango! Miroku! Somebody?" But his cries remained unanswered. Shippo began to be afraid, and cowered near a bush when a large shadow loomed over him. It was a huge demon, and the rest of his tribe. They picked him up and held him in the air by his tail, laughing at his sobbing requests to let him go. "We're going to have some kitsune for dinner tonight!" The leader laughed as he began to walk away, Shippo still wailing.  
  
Sesshoumaru and Kirara met each other in passing, both unaffected by the miasma. They were both running as fast as they could, so they merely nodded. One ran in one direction to find her mistress, and the other to find his "sister".  
  
Sango felt the blade slice through her back, and she cried out in pain. Kohaku was standing over her, laughing. The demon exterminator could feel the blood running out of her body. "I'll just leave you to die, then, Sango." He ran to Kagura, who had recently appeared, and took him away.  
  
Sango was remembering everything that she missed in her life. Almost as if summoned, Kirara licked Sango's face and let her lean on her. Almost as soon as that had happened, Sango realized something. She had seen Kirara's body earlier, and it was definitely dead. Also, Kohaku had some will. He wouldn't laugh at her death, and his voice wasn't that deep. It isn't real. It isn't real! "IT ISN"T REAL!" Sango cried, her voice ringing through the clearing.  
  
Heh, heh. Cliffy! The more you review, the faster the chappie comes out!  
  
Ja ne! 


	10. X

Sorry it took so long to update! I had writer's block, and I've been really busy so far! I promise to update faster next chapter. *sniff sniff * There will only be about three more chapters left! Then, I'm not sure which story I'll move on to. Should I write the story that takes place after this one, before this one, or the very 1st in this series? Review and let me know! Also, expect Shards of Foxfire Christmas somewhere around xmas day!  
  
Thanks to all of my reviewers!  
  
Chinita - Here ya go, I'll try to update more next time!  
  
Cricket-chan - Yep, a cliffie! This chappie has one, too!  
  
Fairyangel24 - Sorry it was so confusing, but you get my drift, right?  
  
Robin5791 - Yes, I think you skipped at least 1 chapter!  
  
Killersmurf - Yay! A new reviewer! I'm glad you like this story!  
  
Sango-to-Miroku - Thanks for reviewing! Yes, that was a dream. Yes, I feel sorry for Sango, too. She's been through a lot. I'm glad you look forward to my updates! I would watch episode 132 - if someone would e-mail it to me or tell me where to find it! *hint hint*  
  
Suddenly, something happened. There was a bright flash of light, and Sango was lying on the ground, surrounded by roots. She soon realized where she was, in the middle of a miasma-infested forest. She was about to sit up and get on Kirara, when she felt a sharp pain in her back. She looked back, and was shocked to find that her back was bleeding, and it hurt to move. She cursed as she looked behind her to see a particularly sharp root covered in her blood. Sango soon realized that that was how the miasma worked. Kagome had tried to explain it to her, but she didn't understand until now. The miasma would take hold of a fear, replay it in your mind, and control the roots to kill you. Sango shivered as she realized what could have happened. Then, she thought of something else - "Miroku!" Sango ran to Kirara and got on, telling her to hunt for Miroku. She had to find him, or she would never forgive herself.  
  
Inuyasha could feel blood trickling down his haori when he felt someone hugging him. "Inuyasha!" He blinked, and turned around. Kagome's arms were draped around his neck, and his Tetsusaiga was poised at his heart. He sheathed his sword, and looked at the mist-covered ground of the miasma forest, a haunted look in his eyes. Kagome said nothing, only imagining what his nightmare must have been. She began massaging his back, unknotting the tensed muscles. At first, Inuyasha felt like telling her to leave him alone, but it felt so good that he didn't want her to stop. When she finished, he relaxed, and allowed her to lean on him. "Where'd you learn that, Kagome? That felt good." Kagome smiled. "When you have a little brother who has had nightmares for years, you pick things up. Usually, that calms him down, and I thought it would work with you, too."  
  
"Kagome?" "Yeah?" "Thanks. Now, let's fond the others before anything happens to them." Inuyasha said, acting like he hadn't thanked her.  
  
Rin heard Sesshoumaru call her name, and her nightmare vanished in a flash. She got loose from the roots that bound her, and went up to him. "Sesshoumaru-sama!" Rin said, using her childhood nickname for him. He smiled very slightly, and put his arm around her, like a big brother. "Come on, Rin. Let's go find the others. I don't want you getting lost." Rin nodded. It didn't matter where they were going, or what they were going to do, but Sesshoumaru would never leave her behind. Although his arm loosened from her shoulders and went back to being by his side, Rin didn't care. Wherever he was around, she was safe.  
  
Amari soon came upon Shippo, who was curled up and wrapped in roots. "Shippo, wake up!" But Shippo didn't respond, and the roots tightened closer around him. Amari quickly pried the roots off of him, and picked him up. He was still whimpering from his dream. She hugged him to her, and he woke up in a flash. "Thanks for saving me, 'Mari!" Amari smiled, and the two of them walked to meet the others.  
  
Sango had finally found Miroku. He was covered in vines, and tears were running down his face, occasionally calling Sango's name. Sango felt like her heart was breaking for him as she ran over to him. Using swift cuts, her dagger turned the vines into ribbons. She tried to shake him awake, but he didn't move. She tried everything possible to wake him up, even slapping him, but he didn't move. Finally deciding that there was only one way to get him to wake up, she kissed him. Immediately, he shot up, and looked at her. "Sango, you're alive?" He hugged her tightly, and then went limp. 'That ordeal must have worn him out.' Sango said as she pulled the collapsed monk onto Kirara. "Now, let's go find Kohaku." Sango got onto Kirara behind the monk and flew up to the top of the trees, searching for her brother.  
  
Kouga soon found Ayame, curled up in a ball, actually not covered in vines. However, there was a ring of vines around her that would soon over her up completely. Koga quickly used his claws to get rid of the vines, and then shook Ayame awake, who was shivering. When she finally awoke, she muttered, "Fire" before collapsing again. Kouga felt sorry for her. Ever since she was little, she had been afraid of fire, and now she had been surrounded by it in a nightmare. It had been a tough day. Kouga gently picked Ayame up, and ran off to where everyone else was. He knew that Kohaku would find Naanaami, and so he just worried about Ayame.  
  
Sango soon found Kohaku standing up in a clearing, lost and confused. He had clearly escaped the miasma, but he couldn't find anyone. "Kohaku!" Kohaku turned around, and waved at them, relieved that they were safe. Sango pointed to the space on Kirara in front of her, but Kohaku shook his head. "I've gotta go find Naanaami!" Kohaku said. "You guys find the other and tell them where I am, okay? I'll find you!" Sango nodded, and flew off as Kohaku ran in the opposite direction, searching for Naanaami.  
  
Sango finally found the others in a group. They all looked tired, and Ayame was completely out. "Where are Kohaku and Naanaami?" Kagome asked as Sango laid Miroku down with his head on Kirara. "We found Kohaku. Apparently, he'd freed himself. He's gone after Naanaami and will meet you here." Sango passed by Kagome, who stopped her with a critical look at her back. "Sango! You're bleeding! The scar must've reopened during your nightmare. Here, let me bandage it up." Sango submitted to Kagome's care, gritting her teeth in pain and hoping that Kohaku found Naanaami.  
  
Naanaami was lying on the ground, a vine sticking out of her back when Kohaku found her. "Naanaami, get up." Naanaami awoke in a flash, and looked over at Kohaku, afraid of him. "It was a nightmare, whatever happened. It's gone now." Kohaku said as he pulled out the vine in her back. Naanaami yelped in pain. "Sorry. We'll get Kagome to treat that, ok?" Naanaami nodded. "Can you walk?" Naanaami stood up, and walked a short distance before tripping over a root. "Ow, I twisted my ankle." Naanaami said, trying to keep walking, but Kohaku stopped her. "Here, I'll carry you. Get on my back." Naanaami willingly got on his back, and wrapped her arms around his neck as he negotiated the rough terrain, headed to where the others were.  
  
When Kohaku and Naanaami got to the group, everyone was awake and bandadged. Kagome tended to Naanaami, and they decided to leave the forest as soon as possible. Naanaami and Sango rode on Kirara because of their wounds, while the rest went along the path. The sun was setting, but Koharu's village was in sight. Everyone's spirits lifted. They were right on time, despite that long trek through the forest. And even as they walked, a figure got bigger and bigger as it ran toward them. "Miroku!"  
  
"Hi Koharu!" Miroku said as she hugged him, and then stepped back. "Miroku, this is my fiancee." Koharu said, indicating the man who was coming up behind her. Miroku didn't even flinch. "Well, congratulations, Koharu." He smiled at Koharu, who grinned back. "Oh, yes. I assume you want a place to stay? Well, come on!" Koharu said, her fiancée leading the way.  
  
The village was very neat and orderly, and everyone welcomed their visitors, especially since they were being escorted by Koharu. The nearest village girl led them to their sleeping area, which was a large hut in the center. They dropped their things off in that area, and then followed the village girl to the hot springs. Sango warned Miroku that if he even went near the girl's side of the springs, she would make sure that he died a horrible and painful death. With that affirmed, the girls had a relaxing, enjoyable, houshi-free bath. They got into their regular clothes, and went with Koharu for dinner.  
  
The feast was good, but not as fine as Kuranosuke's palace. Of course, since they hadn't eaten since breakfast, the dinner was devoured quickly by Inuyasha and Shippo, with help from everyone else. After dinner was over, Kagome was bored, so she got a small chess set out of her backpack. "Hey, Sango, wanna play? No stakes this time!" Sango nodded, bright red, and Miroku chuckled, thinking about the last time that they had played chess (A/N: Another fanfic, you'll find out eventually.). Kagome and Sango sat down across from each other, and the villagers watched with wonder.  
  
The game was over quickly, and Sango had won. Kagome was surprised. "How did you win so quickly? I thought that the last game we played was when-" Sango cut her off. "I've been practicing with Miroku and Kohaku. Now, this time let's have high stakes. Whoever loses has to sleep outside the hut." Kagome agreed to the terms, and they were soon playing again. This time, the game took forever, and showed no signs of ending. Sango would get ahead, and then Kagome would. Finally, when everyone had thought that it would last forever, Sango won. Kagome moped for a while, but then started making a bed outside with a blanket from her backpack.  
  
Everyone else was nice and warm in the hut, but Kagome was shivering outside, and Inuyasha could hear her. Sighing, he stepped outside to find Kagome, who hadn't had any sleep. He wrapped his fire-rat fur haori around her, and she stopped shivering. In fact, she fell asleep instantly. Inuyasha sighed, and wrapped his arm around her. He fell asleep as well, and was so comfortable that he didn't want to move.  
  
The next morning, everyone woke up early so that they could get on the road soon. Koharu replenished their supplies and hugged Miroku one last time before sending them on their way. They just had to go to Jinenji's village, which was half a day's walk away, so Kagome decided to have a picnic lunch. Everyone else agreed, and they walked for a few hours before finding a good spot to start lunch.  
  
"Um, Miroku?" Sango asked as she laid out the food they had cooked and gathered for the picnic.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Are you okay with Koharu's decision?"  
  
"Yes, I can't control her life, and I'm happy for her. Why do you ask?"  
  
"Well, didn't you . love her?"  
  
Miroku's face softened, and he hugged Sango. "You were jealous?" Sango nodded, feeling guilty about thinking that way. Miroku continued, "Don't worry about it. I didn't like her anymore, and I didn't know how to tell her that I loved you instead. Her having a fiancee made it a lot easier. I guess destiny works out that way." Sango smiled, and would have continued to hug him, but Inuyasha was smirking, and everyone looked as if they were about to start laughing, so Sango went back to fixing lunch, her face bright red.  
  
Lunch was soon ready, and it was pretty good for being on the road. Everyone got some food, and then Shippo started a food fight, which ended when a spare tomato hit Inuyasha in the face. Inuyasha spent the rest of the time trying to figure out which tree the kitsune was disguised as. Kagome started teaching Amari how to play chess, and Kohaku started teaching Naanaami about inequalities, as she wanted to go with him to the future after they were done being in the past. Everyone else just rested for a few hours until the sun began to set.  
  
"C'mon, let's go." Inuyasha growled when he had finally found Shippo. "It's supposed to be a new moon tonight, and I want to get to Jinenji's village before anything catastrophic happens." Everyone else agreed, and packed up quickly. As they packed, Sango quickly explained to Amari and Naanaami that whenever there was a new moon, Inuyasha turned into his human self. Amari nodded, but Naanaami looked worried. "It's the new moon already? That's when I transform, too!" Inuyasha grumbled as they headed towards the village, telling everyone to go faster. He could feel his demon senses disappearing, along with his ears. Naanaami looked unaffected, though her hair looked straighter and darker. Everyone heaved a sigh of relief as they entered the village.  
  
"We wish to see Jinenji-san." Kagome told the nearest villager, who looked at them suspiciously. However, Jinenji had just left his large hut, and looked perfectly happy to see them. "Welcome! Come with me. My mother is preparing dinner." He led the nervous group to his home, where Jinenji's mother was waiting. After a flurry of introductions and a fast dinner, everyone was seated in the floor of the hut, and Jinenji's mother wanted an explanation. "Why have you come here, and who are these other people. Also, why does Inuyasha look so strange?"  
  
Kagome patiently explained everything that had happened to them, while the others patiently listened. By this time, Inuyasha was fully human, and Naanaami didn't look the same any more. Her hair was black and straight instead of its normal golden color. Her ears and tail had disappeared, and her claws had retracted. Even her eyes had changed to be a muted gray-blue instead of the piercing blue that they normally were. Kagome also reminded Jinenji's mother that Inuyasha was a half-demon, as well as Naanaami. Jinenji graciously agreed to allow them to stay there for the night, and they would be on their way again in the morning. Everyone was tired from all of their travelling, so they went to sleep early, in the main room of the hut.  
  
Naanaami sat up, exasperated. It was useless. She couldn't get to sleep while she was in her human form; she felt too vulnerable. Everyone else looked quite comfortable. Koga and Ayame were close to each other, as well as Miroku and Sango. Kohaku was asleep right next to her, while Sesshoumaru and Rin were on the other side of the hut, far away from each other. Kagome was leaning on Inuyasha, who was awake just like Naanaami. He slowly left Kagome's side, and crept out of the hut, beckoning Naanaami to follow.  
  
Please review! It means so much, and the faster you review, the faster I write! 


	11. XI

Disclaimer: No, I don't own Inuyasha, but Naanaami and Amari are my characters!  
  
Wow, that was a fast update! I only have a chapter and the epilogue left! I'm so glad you guys liked that last chapter, and I'm updating as fast as I can! I'll probably get the next chapter out in about a week, and the epilogue the week after that. So, I hope you like this chapter!  
  
Thanks to my reviewers: Zero27 - Yay! You remembered me! I don't have any instant messengers, but it would be great if you could send the episode to Sinmay! Read my e-mail! Chinita - Yep, it rhymes! Here ya go! Fairyangel124 - I have no idea what that means, but thanks for reviewing! Killersmurf - I'm glad you like my characters, and you don't think they're boring. If any of you remember Amari's 3 kids, they haven't done much of anything, so I'll stop mentioning them! Kitty Hanyou - Yep, it's you! I'm glad you don't think I do anything mary- sueish! What is waff, anyway?  
  
Now, on to the story!  
  
Naanaami followed Inuyasha, careful not to wake anyone up as she crept out of the hut. Inuyasha was waiting for her just outside, and led her to an old tree with low hanging branches. He climbed to a low branch, and then tried to help her up, but she got up by herself. She sat in a tree branch opposite to him and looked at him, wondering why he led her out here. "So, you can't sleep either?" Inuyasha asked. "Of course not. I don't feel safe sleeping as a human." Naanaami said, seeing Inuyasha nod his agreement. Naanaami continued, "Sometimes, I wonder why we turned out as half-demons, not really in either lifestyle. Have we really done something so horrible in a past life that we end up like this, scorned by everyone?" Inuyasha shook his head. "It's not like that, Naanaami. My mother used to tell me that I was lucky to be a half-demon, the best of both worlds. Of course, she was one of the only ones to think that way.  
  
Naanaami felt her eyes fill up with tears. "You're lucky that you had a mother who loved you. My mother thought I was too ugly and horrible to look at. My father thought I was weak and pitiful, and a female at that. The only people who ever stood up for me when I was little were my brother Koga, Ginta, and Hakkaku. I felt so alone, especially when Koga left." Inuyasha was surprised. She had been through a lot more than him, yet she wasn't depressed or bitter all of the time. She was usually very happy and bright. Inuyasha could tell that she hated it when she was a human, and he felt much the same way. "So, you have a demon form, right?" Naanaami nodded. "Yes, but it scares me. Whenever I'm in that form, I want to kill, and I enjoy it. It's sealed up because of this." Naanaami said, pointing at an arrowhead on a metal collar around her neck. Inuyasha hadn't noticed it before, but strange symbols had been carved into the metal, and the arrowhead glowed faintly.  
  
When he looked away from Naanaami's necklace, Inuyasha noticed that the sun was already rising. Naanaami heaved a sigh of relief, as she always did when the sun began to rise after the night of the full moon. Inuyasha helped the hanyou down from the tree as they went in to the others. 'Inuyasha's not so bad. He actually listened to my problems, and didn't pity me. If only everyone else was like that.' By that time, everyone else was already awake, Jinenji and his mother included. After a quick breakfast, everyone went out to help harvest the large fields behind their home.  
  
Naanaami was shocked at the size of the fields. They must have been twice the size of the village! And the variety of the plants was amazing, too. Most of them she recognized from plant lore, and the others recognized most of them, but there were some that she had never heard of. Luckily, they were all labeled and split up into different sections, so nobody had any trouble organizing and storing them away for the winter, which felt like it was fast approaching. Apart from Miroku's perverted self, nothing ruined the beautiful day, and the work got done quickly. Jinenji was immensely grateful, and fixed them a quick lunch. Before he sent them on their way, he gave them part of his medicinal plants. "I think you'll need them. Good luck on your journey!" Jinenji said, sending them on their way. Their next destination was Mount Hakurei.  
  
Sango sighed as they trudged up the path to the mountain. They had been walking for hours with no end in sight, and Sango was beginning to feel tired. She looked over at the others and noticed that they were worse off than she was. Since the mountain purified any demons that came near it, the demons opted to stay in a nearby village. The two hanyous also decided not to go, not wanting to transform into humans. The going was much harder without Kirara or any other support, and everyone was looking tired. Amari looked to be in almost as good condition as Sango, though she was panting. Kohaku looked tired, but showed no signs of giving up. Miroku looked extremely tired, as if every step were an effort, but the holy barrier around the mountain must have been strengthening him, because he was rapidly improving. Kagome, on the other hand, looked completely taxed. It took all of her strength to put one foot in front of the other. "Kagome, maybe you should stay here and rest for a while. We'll bring the dragon statue back unharmed." Kagome gratefully thanked Sango, and sat in the shade of a large tree as she awaited everyone's return.  
  
Sango could feel her strength returning, although that was perhaps because she knew that they were nearing their destination. Mount Hakurei loomed closer, and they soon walked into the cave at the lower part of the mountain. Sango knew from past experiences that the cave led all the way up to the peak, where the statue would be found. "Come on, you guys! The end is in sight!" Sango said as she walked up the steep ramp to the cave. She couldn't wait to return back home.  
  
As they were walking up the mountainside, Miroku had something on his mind. Specifically, he was remembering what had happened the last time they had been here.  
  
***FLASHBACK SEQUENCE*** As Sango and Miroku ran through the cave, Miroku noticed that the evil energy was getting stronger as they got closer to the center of the mountain. Sango put on her poison mask as they finally saw what was causing the evil energy. Kagura stood on a ledge across from them, and hundreds of Naraku's demons were in the large cavern. Miroku almost uncovers his Kazaana, but Sango stops him. "Look, the Saimyousho! You'll get poisoned if you try to suck them in!" Miroku quickly sealed his hand, and they kept running. Kagura, however, didn't want that to happen. She threw some wind blades at the steps they were running on, and effectively separated the two by a large area of empty space.  
  
Sango tried to jump the gap, but it was too far for her. "Just keep going without me! Naraku is all that matters!" Sango yelled to Miroku, but he shook his head. "I won't leave you." And with that, he threw some flaming scrolls at the demons. Sango followed suit with her Hiraikotsu, but then aimed at Kagura. It flew in Kagura's direction, but Kagura blew it off course. Sango was prepared to catch it, but then a familiar face caught her eye. 'Kohaku!' The large bone rammed into her stomach, knocking her unconscious.  
  
"Sango!" Miroku yelled, forgetting about his own safety as he jumped across the chasm to the unconscious demon slayer. He shook her repeatedly, and called her name, but she wouldn't wake up. Kagura interrupted Miroku by saying, "You know, if you left her behind, you would live a little longer. Miroku said nothing, but laid Sango down gently, a determined look on his face. He stands up, about to release his Air Rip, when Kagura butts in again. "Those bugs are in here. You can't use that here." Miroku took a while before replying. "Just who do you think I am? If the girl I love will live a little longer, then it doesn't matter what happens to me. KAZAANA!" The mighty power of the wind tunnel was unleashed as demons and insects alike were sucked into the wind tunnel. Miroku could feel the poison spreading, but he didn't stop until they back off.  
  
Miroku laid Hiraikotsu across the gap in the stairs, and inched across, Sango slung over his shoulder. His hand didn't have the prayer beads on, but he wasn't sucking anything in at that moment. From the expression on Kagura's face, Miroku realized that he shouldn't be conscious at the moment. Finally on solid stone, he carried the Hiraikotsu as well, staggering towards the top of the mountain. The demons finally became braver, and he sucked in a few more, realizing that if he had to inhale any more, he'd die. He stumbled and fell, feeling his consciousness rapidly disappearing. Laying protectively over Sango (A/N: Not like that, perverts!), he thought 'I'm sorry I couldn't save you, Sango' After that, everything else disappeared into blackness.  
  
*** END FLASHBACK SEQUENCE ***  
  
Sango was also remembering their encounter of Hakurei, but at a different time.  
  
***FLASHBACK SEQUENCE*** When Sango awoke, the first thing she felt was pain. Then, she noticed the monk lying nearly on top of her. She turned bright red, and slid out from under him, about to slap him. But then, she noticed that he was unconscious. "Houshi-sama, wake up! Please, open your eyes!" But Miroku wouldn't wake up. Sango began to cry, tears silently dropping off of her face to splash on Miroku's. Miroku stirred, and opened his eyes. "Sango. You're awake, thank God." Miroku said, and then he saw the demons surrounding them. He winced as he tried to sit up. "I think I've done too much. Go on without me, Sango."  
  
"No! I won't leave you behind!"  
  
Miroku smiled. "Please Sango, survive this for me."  
  
Sango refused to leave his side. "No! If you can't go with me, then we'll die together1" She said, throwing herself onto him. Miroku hugged her as best as he could and then Sango felt him sit up. He looked like he was feeling better every second, and Sango could feel the purifying energy.  
  
Meanwhile, the demons were feeling braver. One of the demons stretched out a tentacle, about to attack, and Miroku hugged Sango closer to him. The demon was purified as soon as it hit the invisible barrier. Miroku let go of Sango and stood up. "Sango, let's leave. With all of these demons protecting the area, there must be something up ahead!"  
  
"Houshi-sama, are you sure you're ok?"  
  
"Yes, I am fine. I guess we won't have to die together after all."  
  
"W-wh-wh-wh-what? Di-di-did I say that?" Sango was blushing and looking nervously from side to side. 'Did he have to bring it up?' Miroku chuckled. "So, you forgot, eh?"  
  
***END FLASHBACK SEQUENCE***  
  
Miroku and Sango looked at each other, but said nothing. Amari noticed their exchanged, and told herself to ask Sango about that later. They were nearing the top, and the holy energy swirled around them, refreshing them as they finally made it to the top. The view was beautiful, and was of the Hijiri Islands, the lake surrounding it, and the nearby countryside. However, the view wasn't what they were looking for. The dragon was on its pedestal, its ruby red eyes making Miroku and Amari uneasy. After taking it, Sango stored it carefully in the pack she carried on her back. Then, they headed back down, anxious to take it to Kagome. The walk down the mountain took significantly less time than going up, and they reached Kagome quite quickly. She looked refreshed, and happy that they had brought the dragon pedestal back safely. The five humans walked back together, carefree and not noticing the shadow that followed them.  
  
When they finally reached the demons and hanyous, they noticed that a demon was following them. It was terrifying. It was a dragon exactly like the statue, but larger, and it was alive. The humans came back unprepared, but the demons were ready. They slashed at the dragon, and it started to bleed, but that only seemed to anger it. It flew up high in the sky, and aimed for Naanaami, diving at her. Koga ran to protect her, but it was too late; the necklace that controlled Naanaami's demon energy had unhooked.  
  
With a flash of light, Naanaami had transformed. Her claws and teeth were longer and sharper, and her hair was silvery. Her eyes were the same, but were cold and calculating. "You tried to kill me." Naanaami growled in a voice deeper than normal. "Die!" She ran at it, claws raking the flesh and surprising the dragon. Kohaku ran in to help, but Inuyasha stopped him. "She's too far gone to need help. Let her be." The demon and the dragon were locked in a powerful battle of might. Naanaami would attack it, and it would strike back. Finally, when Inuyasha was about to go in and help, the dragon was slashed in two.  
  
With shaking, bloody claws, Naanaami hooked the necklace back with tremendous effort, as if she was fighting herself. With another flash of light, she returned to normal, and collapsed to the ground, sobbing. Kohaku ran to her side, comforting her as he helped her to stand. Everyone else seemed to be in shock. They hadn't realized how powerful she was, but they helped her wash her claws off, getting rid of the blood-red stains.  
  
When Naanaami had calmed down, Kagome broke the dragon statue into a thousand pieces. Immediately, a shimmering blue portal appeared in front of them. Kagome was about to step through, but Amari stopped her. "Kaede told me all about these. Before stepping in, you imagine exactly where you want to go, and you'll get there. The only problem is that someone with holy powers needs to do it, like you." Kagome was about to question how exactly to do that, but Miroku stopped her. "Let me do it, Kagome. I know how to." Kagome agreed, and Miroku made sure that Naanaami and Amari were holding onto him as he thought of the Higurashi shrine. "Wish me luck." And with that, he and the two girls disappeared in a flash of light, the portal remaining.  
  
Oooh, cliffy! Review, and I'll get the next chappie out asap! You'll love it! 


	12. XII

Hello again! I promise I was planning on updating sooner, but then I had tons of homework, and I got sick, and, well, let's just say I've been busy! All I have left to write is the epilogue, which is about five years later, bringing you up to date on what everyone's been doing!  
  
Thanks to my reviewers:  
  
Fairyangel124: Yep, they're finally going back!  
  
Killersmurf: Here ya go! Yep, I know I'm evil, I had a cliffy!  
  
Robin5791: Inequalities aren't evil! Some people like them! Chapter 10 was scary? Huh? I'm already done with ur stuff and I'll pass em on to whitney after I get back to sch.! Don't be rude, and don't burn your hw!  
  
Iknowwherecowlives: Of course I know who you are!  
  
Now, on to the story:  
  
After a few minutes worth of worry, Miroku came back, looking confused, but unhurt. "What happened?" Sango asked, worried. Miroku took a minute to respond. "Well, something strange happened, but they got to the shrine safely. Sango wanted to question him more about what had happened, but he interrupted. "I'll tell you later. Now, let's get back to where we were before all of this happened." Everyone held onto Miroku for dear life as they jumped through the portal, hoping that they would land where they needed to. With a flash of light, everyone was back in the parking lot, walking to the restaurant. They all looked relieved to be dressed in modern clothes again and finally opened the door to the building, starving for modern food.  
  
Because it was the easiest, the gang took up one large table. (A/N: In case you're wondering, here's the order: Miroku, Sango, Kohaku, Koga, Ayame, Shippo, Kagome, Inuyasha, Rin, Sesshoumaru, Raiden. Kirara's in Sango's lap.) After ordering and being served, the reality sunk in that they were no longer in the Feudal Era. They were all in a very good mood, and chattered all the way through dinner. Everyone was just happy to be back, and enjoying their break. They all knew that they would be on the road again soon enough.  
  
When the waitress had taken their plates away, Inuyasha got down on the ground, as if to pick something up. But instead, he held out a ring to Kagome. "Kagome, will you marry me?" Smiling widely, Kagome nodded, and threw her arms around the surprised hanyou. "Of course I will!" Inuyasha hugged her back, and then sat back in his chair, blushing.  
  
Almost as if it was a diversion, Inuyasha looked over at Miroku, who fished a black box out of his shirt pocket. "Sango, I know the last time I did this, we were sitting on a hill in the Feudal Era, but will you marry me?" Sango couldn't breathe. She thought that he had forgotten about that day. She nodded, and Miroku's face lit up. He slipped the ring on her finger, and gave her the necklace. After looking at it for a while, Sango fastened it around her neck. Miroku then grabbed her hand, took off the beads and cloth from his arm, and put it on her arm. That made Sango tear up. It meant that he was putting all of his trust in her. "I guess that's sealed, right?" Sango asked Miroku, who kissed the top of her head. "Yes, we're stuck.  
  
A FEW MONTHS LATER  
  
Sango looked at her reflection in the mirror, looking at her beautiful snow- colored gown. It had three-quarter-sleeves, and a white filmy fabric functioned as sleeves, perfect for a warm spring afternoon. The dress was low-cut in the front and back, and below her waist the skirt belled out slightly, covered in swaths of lace. She wore elegant silver bracelets, and the jewelry Miroku had given her. Her shoes were the elegant high-heeled sandals. Her hair had been brushed until it shone, and a sparkling tiara was on the top of her head, the lacy veil coming from it. "Kagome?"  
  
"Yes, Sango?" Kagome asked. She was busy helping the others make sure that their ivory gowns fit right, while Ayame helped Naanaami with her makeup.  
  
"Do I look okay to you?"  
  
Kagome laughed. "Of course! You look beautiful. You're worried, aren't you?" Sango nodded, surprised that Kagome noticed. "Well, don't worry about it. You'll look fine. Besides, be grateful I'm your pep-talk person. Just imagine Miroku, who's stuck with Inuyasha and Kouga, the eternal pessimists! Hey, I'm the one marrying Inuyasha in a few weeks, not you!" Sango giggled, most of her fears alleviated as she imagined Miroku cowering in the floor of his dressing room while Inuyasha and Kouga told him everything that could go wrong with the wedding.  
  
Sango's imagination proved correct, as Miroku was quite literally cowering. Inuyasha and Kouga had been talking for the past hour everything that could go wrong, and then his savior came: Kohaku. "Leave Miroku alone, you guys! If you make him mess up my sister's big day, I'll kill you!" Inuyasha and Kouga yawned at the same time, but they did leave Miroku alone long enough to get dressed and ready for the union with his Sango.  
  
As Kagome's mother and grandfather filed into the chapel, they were amazed at the amount of people there. Sango and Miroku had gained a lot of friends. Mrs. Higurashi noticed two empty seats by a large percentage of the Sohmas, and so she sat down, to see if she could recognize everyone. She immediately saw Yuki and Kyo, trying to fight as an ever patient Tohru sat in the middle to keep them in line. Ayame was as far away from Yuki as possible, surrounded by Shigure and Hatori. Momiji sat between Hatori and Kisa, while Hiro was next to Kisa. Haru was next to Kagura (from FB, not IY), who was trying to hug Kyo, who kept pushing her away. Mrs. Higurashi was about to talk to Yuki, who was next to her, but the organ began to play. The wedding procession was coming out!  
  
The maid of honor and best man, Kagome and Inuyasha came out first, arm in arm. Naanaami and Kohaku came next, followed by Koga and Ayame. Raiden and Sesshoumaru brought up the rear as Rin scattered petals everywhere, proud to be a flower girl. Miroku followed the minister onto the platform, and waited for Sango to come out.  
  
As Sango left the safety of the marble hallway, she could feel over a hundred eyes on her slow walk to the altar. Though she was tempted to lock eyes with Kohaku, her eyes found Miroku's instead. He looked slightly green, but as she walked closer and closer towards him, he relaxed, waiting for her. Sango suddenly realized the gravity of that day. The night before, at the rehearsal, it had been all fun and games, with Miroku flirting with every woman he saw, and Naanaami taking her tiara for ransom. But now, it was really happening. She and Miroku would be joined together for all eternity. As she finally reached the altar, Miroku took her hands in his, and looked into her eyes. Sango realized that he was just as afraid of the unknown as she was, and he gave her hands a squeeze. From that point on, she knew that everything would turn out fine.  
  
As Miroku and Sango repeated their vows in turn, they waited for the moment when they would finally hear the six words they both wanted to hear. "Miroku, do you take Sango to be your lawfully wedded wife?'  
  
"I do."  
  
"Sango, do you take Miroku to be your lawfully wedded husband?"  
  
"I do."  
  
"You may now kiss the bride."  
  
Despite proper wedding etiquette, everyone erupted into cheers, for they knew how long ago that wedding should have happened. As most of the room emptied, many stayed to take wedding pictures, which were finished in a flurry of flashing lights. When the rest of the people left to go to the reception area, Miroku looked at Sango. "Shall we have our amazing entrance, my dear wife? I've always wanted to say that." Sango nodded, and kissed him on the forehead. "Hold on, Miroku, let me change." And as Miroku watched, trying not to think perverted thoughts, Sango unhooked the back of her skirt, letting it fall to reveal white satiny dress pants. "You don't think that I would ride Kirara sidesaddle, do you?" Miroku sighed and said, "Sango, you never cease to amaze me." Sango got on Kirara's back, in front of Miroku. "I know."  
  
As Sango and Miroku stepped off of Kirara, Sango had a sudden vision. She was back in her home in the village, her father beside her. Sango gave her father a hug. "Father, I've missed you so much!" Sango's father hugged her back as he replied, "And I missed you, too." Sango tried to tell him something else, but he put his finger to her lips. "Don't say anything. I don't have much time left here, so listen up. You have done well finding helpful friends and a good husband, and I now have one more word of advice to give you. Nakama." He said before disappearing.  
  
Sango remembered what Nakama meant. It usually meant 'circle of friends', but it had a deeper meaning in the demon slayer's way of life. Often, groups of demons would band together to fight the demon slayers, knowing that they were stronger in numbers. Whenever that happened while you were fighting, you had to depend on the other people who fought alongside you, and the more things you fought, the closer you were to the other warriors. More often than not, interdependence was the most important thing while battling; depending on others for survival was crucial. Sango realized that her father meant that she should treat her friends as family, like her demon slayer partners.  
  
As Sango reminisced, Miroku was staring at her, wondering what she was thinking. When she came out of her trance, she told a relieved Miroku what her father had told her. He grinned. "So he approves of me? I'm shocked. Come on let's get some dinner! I'm starving!" Sango agreed, and a smaller Kirara jumped onto her shoulder as she entered the reception area.  
  
After getting dinner, Sango and Miroku sat with the Shards of Foxfire band and Raiden (A/N: Amari and Naanaami are now part of the band, Naanaami plays flute and sings, Ayame plays the harp, and Amari took over the guitar. Don't ask about Raiden, the explanation is in the next chappie!). "So, Sango," Inuyasha said, "you know we're going to have a small concert with like 2 songs, right?" Sango nodded, waiting to swallow her food. "Of course, I've practiced them forever!" Everyone was talking so loudly that they hardly noticed when Kohaku tapped a glass of water with a fork. However, when Naanaami played a short but loud burst of noise on her flute, everyone instantly quieted. Kohaku spoke up. "Well, first, I'd like to say that the Shards of Foxfire band has agreed to have a short concert, with two new songs. Second, let's have a toast for the newlyweds, Sango and Miroku!"  
  
After the toast, the group got set up quickly, Naanaami going up to the mike. "Well, we're gonna perform three songs that we think are fitting, Ai no Uta, Yasashii Yoake, and Anniversary!" She went back and got into place as the others began to play, Sango, Rin, and Naanaami's voices filled the air. "Kono chi ni chikara o, noni hana o, kokoro ni ai o." Grateful that their performance was as good as ever, they then set up for the new song, Yasashii Yoake.  
  
The song started with what sounded like bongo drums, and then the flute came in. Sango began to sing the first part, enjoying it. "Eien o sagasu kimi wa utsurigi na yume mibito uwaki na yume ni sugari anata wa doko e yuku." Everyone seemed entranced by the strangely beautiful melody, and when it was over, it took a few seconds for everyone to applaud. Naanaami then went to the front of the stage, ready to sing her solo. The first few measures passed without a hitch, and then Naanaami started. "Arihu le tana yami to  
  
Omoatsu kutsu me tsu luketo Kyo no ga tsuzuku dakare Make lale nai doa." After that song, which was met with loud applause, the instruments were packed away and everyone went back to what they had been doing.  
  
The rest of the reception was full of dancing, cake, food, and fun. When Sango threw the bouquet closer to the end of the party, Ayame was the one who caught it. Everyone then looked at Koga, who was completely confused. Everyone had a lot of fun, and tons of people were there. Kagome had somehow convinced Hojo to come to the wedding, and he was over in the corner, chatting with Amari. Sango smiled to herself. She could see couples everywhere!" Raiden and Sesshoumaru were eating cake, Kagome and Inuyasha were sitting at a table talking, Koga and Ayame had run off *somewhere*, and Kohaku was teaching Naanaami how to dance, with great success.  
  
Finally, at midnight Sango and Miroku climbed onto Kirara's back, ready to go on their honeymoon. Showered with flower petals, the demon cat walked through the crowd of people slowly. Then, with a final tail swish as farewell, she took off in the night sky, leaving a fiery trail in her wake. 


	13. Epilogue

Hi everyone! Well, here's the epilogue for ya! I hope you like it!  
  
Five Years Later  
  
Dear Diary,  
  
I was very bored today, so I decided to read over the story about what happened to everyone five years ago. I had written it, after all. I changed some of it, making it better. Well, anyway, I guess I should update on what has happened to everyone in the five years since then, so I will in a minute. First, I'll update info on me. Kohaku and I got married a little over a year ago, and we live about 30 minutes away from the shrine, in a small apartment near the university. He proposed at the farewell concert of Shards of Foxfire, which ended a year and a half ago. Now, we're in college studying. I'm going to be a writer, and Kohaku wants to be a surgeon, which I think fits him well. We're working on the plans for a house about 5 minutes from the shrine, and it'll be finished by the time we graduate!  
  
Sango and Miroku are doing well, and live in a house together right by our apartment. Sango's planning on being a doctor, and Miroku wants to teach high school, though I'm not exactly sure that his "reasons" for wanting to teach are entirely truthful. They now have two kids, and another is on its way in about a month. Their eldest, Nakama, is an active little girl with her father's violet eyes and brown hair like her mother. Her younger brother, Kenji, named for Sango's father, had black hair and brown eyes. Their third child is supposedly a girl, and they're going to name it Tsuki, which I think is adorable.  
  
Inuyasha and Kagome are still living at the shrine, but they're moving out sometime next year. Inuyasha's working on being a lawyer, although I don't know why he needs to learn to argue better than before, he was scary enough to disagree with before.oh, well. Kagome wants to be a teacher, and is going to be a student teacher at Sota's old elementary school next year. They have one kid, Kasen, who looks almost exactly like his dad in human form, which bothers Inuyasha, but not Kagome; she's thrilled.  
  
Koga and Ayame got married a year after Sango and Miroku, and are living next door to us. Ayame's going to become a hairdresser because she enjoyed styling our hair at concerts so much. Koga is training to be a pilot; I get nervous just thinking about it. My brother shouldn't be trusted near anything with that many buttons and switches. Ayame promises to keep him in check, but whenever he ends up on a deserted island with amnesia, well, let's just say I told him so.  
  
Raiden and Sesshoumaru have been dating for what seems like forever, though it's been on again, off again. Oh, yes, I was supposed to explain about Raiden. She's Miroku's sister, and to make a long story short, when he took us to the shrine all those years ago, he took her with us. She's nice, and studying to be a veterinarian. Sesshoumaru wants to become an important businessman, but he hasn't seemed to mention what that exactly means though.  
  
Hojo and Amari have been dating forever as well. Hojo is going to a college in Kyoto to be a college professor, and Amari is right here in Tokyo studying to be a teacher. Somehow, their long-distance relationship has worked out, though I'm not sure how in the world life could be so fair. Hojo's coming back next month, and Amari is really grateful. She's been a godsend to poor Sango, who's trying to juggle a part-time job at a hospital, two kids with another on the way, and college. Somehow, I think that I'm going to have to help soon enough!  
  
Rin is doing pretty good herself. She's at the moment a waitress, though she wants to work as a nurse. She's going to graduate in a few months, and then she's off to college. To make it easier on her and Sesshoumaru, who adopted her when she first came into the future, we're offering to let her stay with us from when she starts until we finish class. That way, once we leave, she'll have an apartment of her own! Kohaku doesn't mind too much, he was the one who thought up the idea. He treats Rin like the little sister he never had.  
  
Even though Shards of Foxfire died out, I might as well put down what everyone did in the band. At the end, we had tons of members. Kohaku helped Shippo and Kirara with the special effects, and Inuyasha and Kouga still had the steel guitars. Raiden and Amari played guitar, while Miroku had the drums and Sesshoumaru played bass. I played the flute, Kagome played keyboard, and Ayame played the harp. The male vocals were Sesshoumaru, Miroku, and Inuyasha, while the females were Sango, Rin, and I. The band had two more tours, and released three CDs, but eventually died. Every once in a while, we play some of the music, just for old time's sake.  
  
Well, it's a night of the full moon, so you know what that means: I turn into a human. Kagome calls me the "reverse were-wolf", and it really annoyed me until I figured out what that meant. Anyway, ever since Kohaku and I've been going out, he figured out a way to keep me from getting depressed whenever I turn human. It's a lot of fun. We rent a stack of movies, buy a ton of candy (yes, I have a sweet tooth), and order pizza to be delivered to our apartment. We watch movies all night, and that way Kohaku stays up with me! Anyway, I gotta go watch movies, so I'll talk later!  
  
-Naanaami  
  
This story was so much fun to write! Thanks to all of these reviewers that made my day, and made writing this fanfic worth it: Fairyangel24, killersmurf, iknowwherecowlives!, Robin5791, chinita, Zero27, Kitty Hanyou, Sango-to-miroku, Cricket-chan, noname(2x), Chiisai-tori, koni, Tsume Yamagata, Koinu, Born-of-Elven-Blood, Hedi Dracona, the-SeVeReD-HaNd, and Demonic Rose. You guys made it worth it to write, and expect an xmas fanfic dedicated to all 20 of ya! Look for it on xmas day. Until then, ja ne! 


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